


Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods I (Book 2: Quitela)

by Chronos_X



Series: Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods I (2019-) [6]
Category: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball Z
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Betrayal, Child Abuse, Crimes & Criminals, Dishonor, Enemies to Friends, Foster Parents, Friendship, God Turned Mortal, Homophobia, Homosexuality, Horny Teenagers, Immortality, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Love, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Multi, PTSD, Past Child Abuse, Past Rape/Non-con, Redemption, Self-Acceptance, Self-Loathing, Shame, Suicide, Troubled Past, Unknown Origins, coming to terms, parental abandonment, past mistakes, teenage love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2021-04-24
Packaged: 2021-04-24 16:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 36,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22218259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chronos_X/pseuds/Chronos_X
Summary: A year and a half after the Tournament of Power, God of Destruction Quitela of Universe 4 is confronted by Grand Zen-Oh, stripped of his divinity and powers, and exiled to Universe 7's Earth.  The now mortal rodent must adapt to his circumstances while he trains under a former enemy of the hated Son Goku to regain his fighting abilities and learn how to get along with his new teammates.However, Quitela's past catches up to him when ancient crimes come back to haunt him, his former subordinates turn against him, and lingering questions about his origins resurface while the Multiverse faces its greatest threat in eons.  Will Quitela make the best of his predicament and atone for his sins, particularly on regards to one of his greatest students and few true friends?This fic occurs simultaneously with Twilight of Gods I, Books 1, 3, 4 and 5.
Relationships: Cognac/Quitela (Dragon Ball), Ganos/Quitela (Dragon Ball), Piccolo/Android 21/Cell (Masako X), Piccolo/Son Gohan, Quitela (Dragon Ball) & Original Character(s)
Series: Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods I (2019-) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1466320
Comments: 26
Kudos: 4





	1. Subject Q

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:
> 
> Unless otherwise stated, all characters, stories, plot elements and related aspects belong to me. All migrant OCs, designs and backstories belong to their respective creators. Used with permission.
> 
> Negroni belongs to lssj2 (www.deviantart.com/lssj2)
> 
> Lord Mate belongs to Mate397 (www.deviantart.com/mate397)
> 
> Android 21/Good Boi Cell, Good Guy Raditz, Good Guy Nappa, Ranch, Daikon, Mooli, and all related characters/events/story arcs belong to  
Masako-kun (www.deviantart.com/masako-kun)
> 
> Special redesigns for Beerus, Jiren et al. belong to Geofffffff (www.deviantart.com/geofffffff)
> 
> Yabrel, Richi, Osore, backstories/post-ToP designs for Shosa, Majora, and Trio of Danger belong to 6SpiritKings (www.deviantart.com/6spiritkings / www.furaffinity.net/user/6spiritking)
> 
> Anise, Fennel, Cumin and other OCs belong to Chronos-X, AKA Yours Truly (www.deviantart.com/chronos-x)
> 
> Rated Teen and up. Deals with depression, child abuse, trauma, suicide, torture, rape (physical and psychological) and other prickly subjects relevant to the plot. Expect plenty of curse words of varying gravity, certainly lots of fighting and violence (it's Dragon Ball, after all). Reader discretion is advised. 
> 
> (Note: Will post a TRIGGER WARNING at the start of certain chapters).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> God of Destruction Quitela has been feeling uneasy since the Tournament of Power. A year later, Grand Zen-Oh gives him the dressing down of a lifetime, makes him mortal, and sends him to Universe 7's Earth on his own high-flying adventure. All Quitela has to do is survive. Should be easy enough... right?

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two: **Quitela**

Chapter 1: Subject Q

God of Destruction Quitela of Universe 4 lately spent hours doing what he hadn’t done in centuries: pondering. Not plotting, not scheming. Thinking. How? How did everything go so horribly wrong?

The Hakaishin had been so sure his machinations would win him the Tournament of Power, yet everything fell apart thanks to that gods-damned Son Goku and his friends from Universe 7. To think Quitela had taken such pains to <strike>dupe</strike> <strike>trick</strike> <strike>con</strike> <strike>deceive</strike> persuade that moron Sidra and his Universe 9 meatheads to go after them first! 

Granted, it was a risky gambit, but it had its benefits: either U7 would rise to the occasion and eliminate one set of obstacles for him, or U9 would perform a miracle and wipe that lazy fuck Beerus off the face of the Multiverse once and for all. Too bad things didn’t go according to plan. U9 bit the dust and got erased as intended, but U7 did away with U4’s warriors without breaking a sweat. 

“[_Do you seriously **not** know how to dodge, Shantsa!? Nice job handling that cueball and his bimbo, Shosa! Just wait till I get my hands on you, Damon! You’ll **beg** for that walking junk heap to blast you to atoms! _

_Really, Majora, a stinky shoe!? **That’s** what it takes to beat you!? Should’ve locked you in my closet and thrown away the key. _

_I know you’re not much of a brain trust, Monna, but how the fuck did you get through life not knowing about freaking power levels!? I know babies who could use ki to tell their parents apart from everybody else before they were old enough to crawl! _

_Caway… gods dammit, Caway! You let yourself be eliminated ‘coz you didn’t want to get groped by an old_ _pervert!?_]." (_Mimics Caway_). "[_'Oh, please don’t ravage me, Mr. Turtle Fondler, Sir! I plan to spend the rest of my life barefoot and pregnant, and I don’t wanna gross out my future suitors! Not my fault Queen Mommy and King Daddy didn’t teach me anything else!’ Note to self: pay a visit to Their Majesties later. Nobody makes a fool of Quitela Rosángel. _

_Dercori… dearest Dercori, Miss I’m-Invincible-in-the-Darkness-Long-As-Nobody-Brings-a-Jar! A fucking jar! Should’ve kept my mouth shut, let the Zen-Ohs use you as a pincushion or something. Shame Sazerac and Kagesa croaked ages ago. Would’ve loved to see them bury their mortified heads on the ocean floor, where you and the rest of your overrated family belong! _

_Nice plan, Gamisaras, turning invisible and all. Too bad everybody can sense energy! I could clench my butt-cheeks all day long and still end up with a better strategy! _

_Nink… I never thought much of you, and that’s exactly what I_ _got_]". (_Mimics Nink_). "['_Duh, I know! I’ll grab the monkey man and drag him off the arena! What could possibly go wrong?’ You’re lucky the Zen-Ohs were watching, or I would’ve kicked a field goal with that huge shithead of yours, you knuckle-dragging ogre! _

_I wouldn’t relax if I were you, Ganos. Yeah, go ahead and taunt the old coot who just eliminated two of your teammates: that won’t come back to bite you in the ass! Useless piece of bird shit… would’ve been better off roasting you alive and stuffing my pillows with those filthy feathers of yours!_

_Fucking idiots. Why Super Shenron brought you losers back is beyond me. Just wait, though. I’ll make the whole damn lot of you wish you were never born! You’ll beg me to Hakai you when I’m through with you! I’ll make whatever the Omni-Kings did look like a fart in the wind! You wastes of space have let me down for the last time!_].” 

Quitela tried not to dwell on what followed after U4’s elimination. The mouse deity knew Zen-Oh All-Sovereign could purge entire universes in a matter of seconds. Nothing new there. There was no difference between that and what he and his fellow Destroyers did to maintain the balance of Creation and Destruction throughout the Multiverse, except in scale. Not even the most powerful Hakaishin could rival the Omni-King on their best day… but to have it happen to _him_? 

The erasure itself was humiliating enough, but to have Beerus not just watch, but dance for joy as it happened? Not only had Quitela’s brilliant strategies fallen apart: they crumbled right in front of that anorexic cat, who only got to be god ‘coz his dear old daddy gave him the job, whereas the Destroyer from the Conspiracy Universe had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he currently was. Truly there is no justice in this world. 

Then the unthinkable happened. Universe 7 _won_. Not only that, their greatest warrior, one Android 17, used his wish from the Super Dragon Balls to bring back all the erased universes, as Cognac later told his charge. Just as Quitela found himself slumbering in nonexistence in mere seconds, so did he find himself back in the world of the living, right alongside Ganos and those other morons who’d disappointed him so much. 

Everyone else was singing and dancing on account of not being stuck in permadeath, but the rat deity was in no mood to celebrate. He couldn’t understand it. He _lost_. _He_, God of Destruction Quitela, King of Thieves, Despoiler of Vaults, Scourge of Wealthy and Poor! Worst of all, if he still drew breath, could taste food and so much more, it was only because somebody else had acted against his own best interest for the sake of others, for the sake of people he would never meet or care about. For _his _sake. How? Why? 

The Naatsusian[1] had been pondering thus since around midday, when he got out of bed (in the sense that Cognac doused him in cold water to wake up his lazy ass). Truth be told, Quitela didn’t care much for that teacher of his. The mouse had long since outgrown that blue-skinned wet blanket with ridiculous hair, who constantly pestered him to do his job, or at least to not misbehave so blatantly. Their relationship had never been particularly close, thank Supreme Kai, but at least they could share a living space without trying to murder each other on sight. 

If Quitela had learned anything throughout his eons-long existence, it was the importance of surrounding yourself with people you can easily manipulate, or who at the very least won’t try to smother you in your sleep. It was uncanny how many people he’d known tended to forget that. It was still more uncanny how many times he’d had to remind them…

Enough! The Destroyer hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and lunch-slash-dinnertime was upon him. Quitela had half a mind to dispense with Cognac’s services just this once, throw together a little something himself, but who else would make sure the Angel had something to do? 

Those so-called warriors of his were too polite to request so much as a freaking glass of water. How did they expect to get anywhere in life if they refused to make others work for _their _benefit instead of the other way around? 

That’s what made _him _God of Destruction. Universe 4 was his and his alone. Long as he upheld the letter of cosmic law and didn’t do anything that attracted attention, particularly of that idiot Omni-King and his lapdogs, he’d be perfectly fine.

Nevertheless, Quitela had grown tired of pondering much about nothing. Noticing it’d been quite some time since he’d last seen his Attendant, the rodent set out to find him, his voice echoing throughout the palace halls.

“Cognac! Where are you!? You’d better have lunch and/or dinner ready!”

That’s funny. Usually the Angel would be by Quitela’s side before the Hakaishin even made up his mind whether he needed him. Now, however, it was as if Cognac had never floated around this magnificent palace, a proud symbol of glorious accomplishments, made all the more impressive by the fact that their achiever had not aged a day past the human equivalent of thirteen (or fourteen?) since his ascension ages ago. 

However, the mouse deity was in no mood to sit on his laurels. After a long, fruitless search, an exasperated Quitela stepped out into the uppermost balcony of his temple.

“Cognac! Didn’t you hear me!? Where…!?” 

Cognac was there, alright, but he wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by the Grand Priest, Whis, the Guide Angel of the hated Beerus, and _him_, the Dreaded One, He Who Must Not Be Named. His mind racing all over the place, Quitela sloppily bowed before his august audience.

“G-Grand Zen-Oh! Grand Priest! Whis! W-What brings Your Eminences to my humble abode on such an…?”

(_Unhappy Zen-Oh is…_). “Zip it, rodent! We’ve got important matters to attend to, so I’ll cut to the chase.”

(_Quitela all but sweats ice_). “[_When did Zen-Oh become so decisive, so assertive… so articulate!?_].”

“God of Destruction Lord Quitela IX, heir of Sazerac, of House Rosángel, you stand accused of corruption, bribery, theft, kidnapping, extortion, murder, and negligence, among countless other crimes you yourself committed, or otherwise duped-slash-forced others to commit on your behalf, during your tenure as Hakaishin of Universe 4. How do you plead?”

(_Dumbfounded Quitela is…_). “W-What?”

Zen-Oh gently floated to the rodent’s side, nonchalantly pulled one of his ears, and screamed into it.

“I SAID YOU STAND ACCUSED OF CORRUPTION, BRIBERY, THEFT, MURDER, EXTORTION, KIDNAPPING AND NEGLIGENCE! HOW DO YOU PLEAD, YOU OVERGROWN PLAGUE RAT!?”

Smiling awkwardly, Quitela nervously uttered his trademark “Kekeke!” laugh, wondering what kind of fucked up alternate reality he’d woken up to.

“W-What? I-I have no idea what you’re talking about, Your Eminence, I-I swear!”

Grinning slyly, Zen-Oh materialized a writing board out of thin air. Ignoring the Naatsusian, he then jotted something down.

You _swear_? Guess we can add perjury to the list…”

“What?”

(_Annoyed Zen-Oh is…_). “I SAID WE CAN ADD PERJURY TO THE LIST, AS IN LYING UNDER OATH IN A COURT OF LAW, YOU BARELY PUBESCENT TWERP!” (_Pants heavily, calms down a bit)._ “Seriously, how can someone so smart be so fucking ignorant!?”

(_Quitela’s jaw almost hits the ground_).“[_Did the Omni-King just **swear**!?_]. What?”

(_Pissed off Zen-Oh is…_). “SAY “WHAT” AGAIN, YOU BUCK-TOOTHED, BUTT-UGLY MOTHERFUCKER, I DOUBLE-DARE YOU! SAY “WHAT” AGAIN!”

“I… don’t understand.” 

Staring in utter bewilderment, Quitela looked towards Cognac. The Angel seemed distracted, not at all invested in the dressing down he’d yearned to witness for gods know how many centuries. The Naatsusian then turned to Beerus’ <strike>stooge lackey boot-licker</strike> servant, but the Guide Angel of U7 bore a strange expression of perplexity bordering on stupefaction.

“[_Alright, where’s that mangy cat of yours, Whis? No doubt he’s perched atop the highest parapet, trying not to laugh himself stupid while he films this dumbass prank so he can upload it to GodTube and get more likes than that old fart Gowasu_].”

“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about your crimes.”

A dispassionate Grand Priest stepped forward, unfurled a scroll that reached all the way down to the palace’s main entrance, some two-hundred floors below.

“Lord Quitela, not only have you been derelict in the fulfillment of your duties as God of Destruction. You have also retained unlawful connections with organizations including, but not limited to, the Association of Thieves[2], the Galactic Raiders, and the Gonzago Scourges. More concretely, you stand accused of fathering over one-hundred illegitimate children throughout the eons in at least five different universes. Furthermore, you are also suspect of committing over one thousand thefts against the royal family of Planet Aspen[3], from your own universe, I might add.”

(_Quitela swallows hard_). “I… I…”

(_Spiteful Zen-Oh is…_). “What’s the matter, rat boy? Lost for words? Luckily for you, I happen to be in a forgiving mood today, so I’ll spare myself the rest of this rap sheet.” (_Snaps his fingers. The scroll disappears in a puff of smoke_). “As for _you_…”

Grand Priest, Whis, Cognac, and attendants flew away from the balcony to a safe distance up in the sky. The King of All then cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and let the young vermin have it.

“GOD OF DESTRUCTION QUITELA, FOR YOUR CRIMES OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER, CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT MURDER, HIGH TREASON, UNSANCTIONED INTER-UNIVERSE TRAVEL-SLASH-ESPIONAGE, GRAND THEFT, PETTY LARCENY, EXPLOITATION, DRUG TRAFFICKING, RUNNING SPEAKEASIES-SLASH-PROSTITUTION RINGS, UNLAWFUL INTER-UNIVERSAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY, NEGLIGENCE, WEARING GREEN AFTER SAINT PATRICK’S DAY, HAVING AN ANNOYING LAUGH, AND BEING AN ALL AROUND FILTHY MCROTTEN ASSHOLE, I HEREBY JUDGE YOU AND FIND YOU… GUILTY! 

MY SENTENCE SHALL BE AS FOLLOWS: HENCEFORTH, YOU ARE STRIPPED OF YOUR TITLE, DIVINITY, AND ALL ATTENDANT RIGHTS AND DUTIES! YOUR GODLY POWER SHALL SLUMBER IN THE REALMS BEYOND UNTIL YOUR SUCCESSOR IS APPOINTED! AFTERWARDS, YOU SHALL BE REMITTED TO PLANET EARTH OF THE SEVENTH UNIVERSE, WHERE YOU SHALL REMAIN IN EXILE FOR THE REMAINDER OF YOUR NATURAL LIFE AND BEYOND! I, ZEN-OH ALL-SOVEREIGN, HAVE SPOKEN!”

“O-Oh, w-will you look at the time! (_Kekeke!_). I-I just remembered I left something in the oven, so… bye now!”

Smiling awkwardly, ears still sore, the Naatsusian flew towards Cognac. An orb of silver energy formed above Zen-Oh’s hands, chased, devoured the Hakaishin like a tornado, drowning out his screams as it tore every bit of God ki and Energy of Destruction out of his body. 

Quitela weakened with each passing second. In no time at all, he went from a hale and sprightly youth to a sickly wreck barely able to stay awake. The bright, colorful world he’d long taken for granted dwindled to a bunch of blurry reds and greens colliding with a dark-tinted mishmash. The energy signatures that surrounded him dwindled, then vanished altogether, his previous presence of mind giving way to unending fretfulness. 

At long last, the confiscated energies returned to the Omni-King as the maelstrom extinguished itself and allowed Quitela to plummet downward. The Hakaishin ordered himself to fly, but his body wouldn’t (or couldn’t?) let him skip its imminent reacquaintance with the law of gravity. 

Bored by the affair, the King of All snapped his fingers. When Quitela was about to hit the ground, he found himself suspended in mid-air, ensconced within an energy field that kept him fixed an arm’s length from what nearly became his final resting place. Making another gesture, Zen-Oh set the rodent upright, made him float to where the All-Sovereign waited.

(_Zen-Oh grins cheekily_). “Going somewhere, Riazul Sauza?”

(_Offended Quitela is…_). “W-What!?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot your own name… mortal.”

“M-Mortal!?”

His heart skipping a couple of beats, the Naatsusian almost screamed. It couldn’t be true! The blue thumbtack had to be lying! 

It wasn’t a lie. Quitela knew that much when Zen-Oh bounced the sphere of reclaimed energies in his hand. 

“Kinda hard being a god without this. Don’t worry, though. I’m sure your replacement will put them to good use.” 

At Zen-Oh’s signal, the God ki and Energy of Destruction transformed into a column, then shot high above the atmosphere, where it disappeared to parts unknown.

“You’re lucky I already got bored with this whole courtroom motif, or I’d hold you in contempt… well, _more _in contempt, but you get the point. Now, I believe you have some things that belong to me.” 

The All-Sovereign snapped his fingers. The former deity’s neck stole, waist sash, and armbands transformed into pure light and were absorbed into a pouch Zen-Oh conjured up, while Quitela wept bitterly.

“P-Please, Sir! I-I’ll give back everything I stole! I’ll apologize to the royal family! I’ll be your personal slave for eternity! Don’t do this to me, _please_! Don’t throw me out! I’ll do anything!”

“Anything?” 

A wicked smile on his lips, an unsympathetic Zen-Oh devoured the horrified fallen god with appraising looks. Before Quitela knew it, the Omni-King’s fingers caressed the yellow fur around the rodent’s face, chest, and flabby abdomen. 

“Wow… your fur’s really soft." (_Realizes something_). "What’s wrong, Riazul? Am I making you uncomfortable?” 

Quitela swallowed hard. An unmoved Zen-Oh smirked spitefully, relishing the sight of an ex-Destroyer sweating buckets. As for Quitela, part of him wanted to run away, wash himself thoroughly in an ocean of bleach, crawl into a hole, and cry himself to sleep. However, another part was becoming invested in the whole ordeal, to the point of wanting such treatment to… continue? 

His tone ever disdainful, the Ruler of Time and Space grumbled, then turned away.

“Such a damn shame. Such a waste of power, skill, intelligence. That son of a bitch Sazerac sure knew how to pick ‘em.” 

Stealing a glance at Quitela, Zen-Oh couldn’t help but chirp a hearty laugh. The mouse was blushing pure crimson as he tried to conceal a small, unflattering bulge between his legs.

“And here I thought you weren’t happy to see me, Sauza.” (_Brief pause_). “What’s the matter? Are you… crying?”

His very frame trembling with outrage, Quitela looked Zen-Oh straight in the eyes.

“Enough’s enough. If you’re going to erase me, get on with it already.”

(_Zen-Oh scowls_). “You have a lot of nerve, heir of Sazerac. Who do you think you’re talking to?”

“A sadistic brat whose ass I’m gonna introduce to my foot one of these days.”

(_Zen-Oh laughs dismissively_). “That’s cute, y’know, coming from you. Enjoy mortality, kid. Oh, and one more thing: say hi to Beerus for me.” 

Snapping his fingers one last time, Zen-Oh created a wormhole that swallowed the screaming rodent, spiriting him from Universe 4 all the way to who-knows-who-cares. Once the last echo died out, the King of All sighed while Grand Priest and company reached the area and a chipper Whis put away a video camera.

“Well, that felt… underwhelming.”

“On the contrary, Sir, it’s sure to be a smash hit. ‘Overgrown plague rat’, ‘barely pubescent twerp’, ‘Filthy McRotten Asshole’… I wasn’t aware Your Eminence had such a colorful vocabulary.”

(_Zen-Oh shrugs_). “You’d be surprised what kinda things you learn, hanging out with mortals.”

“More importantly, unlike your first victim, Mouse Boy actually deserved every single nasty thing you said to him.” (_Whis ponders for a moment_). “Not sure how I feel about… you know.”

The Father of Angels approached, his usually cheerful face having given way to emotions he hadn’t experienced in ages. Though he was in no mood for yet another pointless lecture, Zen-Oh grumbled and accepted his fate.

“I concur, Your Eminence. There was no need to use Quitela thus.”

(_Cognac sighs_). “I must agree as well. As much as I despise that depraved mongrel, I still think…”

“It had to be done. How else is he gonna learn?” (_Zen-Oh frowns_). “It wasn’t easy. When I was doing, saying those things, I felt… I felt gross, even worse than when I banished your student, Whis.” (_Sighs_). “What’s next on the agenda, Father of Angels?”

“That’s _two _Destroyers you have brought to mortality, Sir. According to your list, two more remain. Shall we see to them?”

“Later. I need to get my strength back, and we need to check up on Future Me. Tomorrow morning, however, we got another cat to spay. Come along, Cognac. Your services are required.” 

The group left Universe 4 in a pillar of light…

_Meanwhile…_

Quitela was spinning right round, baby, right round, like a record, baby, right round, right round, screaming his guts out as the Multiverse took him for the joyride of his teenage life. Why couldn’t he fly or tear open a portal to safety? And more importantly, why did Zen-Oh tell him to say hi to Beerus? That’s the _least_ he wanted to do right now!

One eternity later, the wormhole opened somewhere in a forest, dumped the Naatsusian face-first into mud, right in the middle of a downpour. A coughing Quitela got back on his feet, tried to walk, only to ignominiously fall facedown. 

The vexed, growling mouse willed himself to fly. Nothing happened. He tried harder. Still nothing. Harder still. Nada. 

(_Fretful Quitela is…_). “W-What’s going on!? Why can’t I…!? Cognac! Where are you!? Cognac!”

Nobody came. 

At last it all sank in. The Omni-King had stolen from _him_, God of Destruction Quitela, Scourge of Decent Folk, Defiler of Fair Maidens, Breaker of Hearts, Shatterer of Padlocks! The Divine Brat had made off with his ability to fly and gods know what else! Surely the ex-Hakaishin wouldn’t let this stand!

“I’m… I’m alone… they… they threw me out… again… I… NO! Can’t think about that now! I need to find food, shelter, or I’m as good as dead!” 

Fighting a losing battle against fear and despair, the Naatsusian shambled back to his feet. Trying to assess his surroundings proved futile, no matter how much he squinted his eyes.

“Everything’s so… blurry. If that blue eyesore was telling the truth, then I’m not in Universe 4 anymore, but in… Universe 7. Universe 7… UNIVERSE 7! I’m in Beerus’… NO! Get a hold of yourself, Sauza. Little Boy Blue’s just testing you or something. Y-Yeah, that’s gotta be it.” (_Sneezes several times_). “And now I have a cold. Terrific.” 

Quitela tried to walk, only to collapse yet again. Ankle-deep in mud, the Naatsusian realized his left shoe was gone, swallowed by the earth. He made to retrieve it, but ultimately decided not to. Whatever stunt Zen-Oh pulled had depleted his strength. Saving energy was a must if he was to make it through the night…

_Half an hour later…_

Quitela at last crawled out of that muddy hole. His clothes soaked, his body aching, his spirits faltering, the rat managed to shamble some three feet away from his landing spot.

“Noise (sneeze x2). Too much… too much (sneeze) noise… gotta… gotta focus… remember, remember (sneeze x4) what he taught you…” 

Riazul sat down. His legs crossed, eyes shut, he frantically breathed in and out till his breathing eased it self into a gentler place.

“Forget (sneeze x2) yourself. Don’t worry about later. Focus (sneeze x2). Focus on here and (sneeze x5) now. Relax. Focus. Focus. Focus.” 

His senses fine-tuned, his resolve strengthened, the sneezing, coughing Quitela rose and walked a good ten paces into an adjacent clearing. Once there, the disgraced deity spotted a raging river about a stone throw away from his current position, the sight of which got his mind running despite all that shaking, shivering, and sneezing.

“If I… if I follow the stream downward, it might lead to civilization… key word being “might.”

Once he helped himself to a nearby tree branch slightly above his size, Quitela hobbled down the river path, praying to find a town or a group of campers soon, before the last of his strength deserted him and he fell into darkness, never to awake again. However, his one-track mind, the constant sneezing and coughing made the rodent lose sight of a bunch of sharp stones in his path. The Naatsusian scraped the top of his left foot shortly before collapsing on top of the pile, with barely enough time to cover his eyes with his right arm. 

Barely a minute later, Quitela surveyed himself. Both knees bled, and the area from the chest to the stomach looked bruised, at the very least. At least nothing was broken, thank Supreme...

“OW! FUCK!”

The ex-Hakaishin’s right arm hurt when he tried to move it. Big loss for sure, but not insurmountable. ‘Bout time left-handedness was useful for something. Staff in hand, Quitela walked further down the trail, fighting weakness and despair through sheer willpower. 

Too bad this new determination didn’t come with a flashlight and a pair of glasses. His next step caused the Naatsusian to plummet headfirst into a cliff below…

_Later…_

“So this creep’s my new training partner?”

“More than that. He’s going to be your student.”

“Whoa, really!? But what about Shu?”

“I’ll take over his training for a while. You get this rat back on his feet so I can whip him into shape.”

“I dunno, Piccolo. You really think this is a good idea?”

“We have our orders, 21. I’m not happy about it either, but…”

“Look, look! He’s waking up!”

“C-Cognac? (sneeze). Oww… w-where… am I?”

Quitela brushed somnolence from his eyes. His waking, blurry world was suddenly invaded by a strange visage, which belonged to a green bug thing with black spots. Dressed in a purple uniform of sorts, Bug Thing’s yellow eyes brimmed with child-like curiosity as they met the Naatsusian’s and its smiling, toothy orange mouth motioned to speak, greeting the rodent in a cheerful tone.

“Hi!”

Quitela jumped away in a panic. The disgraced deity fell flat on his ass, all while pointing at the spooked Bug Thing, who looked around frantically.

Quitela: “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MONSTER! A (cough x2) HIDEOUS MONSTER!”

Bug Thing: “MONSTER!? WHERE!? WHERE!?”

Quitela: “I DIED (sneeze x2) AND WENT TO THE (sneeze) BAD PLACE! THE BAD (cough x2) PLACE!”

Bug Thing: “WHAT BAD PLACE!?”

Quitela: “HELL!”

Bug Thing: “THIS ISN’T H.F.I.L.!”

Quitela: “WHAT DOES (sneeze x2) THAT EVEN MEAN!?”

Bug Thing: “HOME FOR INFINITE LOSERS!”

Quitela (_slowly, steadily gets back on his feet_). “That… (sneeze x3)… that actually makes sense.”

Bug Thing (_smiles again_). “I know, right?”

Quitela (_leans on a nearby stalagmite_). “It’s ‘coz they’re cast off from Heaven, isn’t it?” (cough x5).

Bug Thing_ (reclines against a nearby wall_). “Yeah. The “Infinite” part’s a little on the nose, though.”

Quitela_ (shakes his head_). “I’d (sneeze x4) have to disagree. It (cough x2) fits the acronym perfectly (cough x3), says they’re irredeemable and…”

????: “You two…”

Quitela/Bug Thing: “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

????: “QUIET! BOTH OF YOU GET A HOLD OF YOURSELVES!”

His heartbeat all over the place, a terrified, wheezing Quitela realized he’d jumped into Bug Thing’s arms. As the Naatsusian smiled sheepishly, the unimpressed creature unceremoniously dropped him on his butt, stepped back into the darkness. 

Looking at himself, the rodent realized the remnants of his Destroyer uniform were gone. They’d been replaced by a purple outfit not unlike Bug Thing’s, save for the pair of triangular-pointed shoes that shielded his feet from the elements. The ex-Hakaishin also wore a splint over his right arm, the sight of which recalled quite a few bad memories from the previous hours. 

Seeking a diversion, Riazul took in the warm glow of a nearby campfire, the smell of stew cooking in a nearby pot, wafted by a litany of owls lulling would-be prey into a false sense of security. Afterward, the rodent got up, fell back down, and squinted, trying to take a closer look at the source of that deep-voiced scream… well, as much as the blurriness in his eyes, the sneezing and coughing allowed him to. Even so, the green skin and pointy ears were a dead giveaway.

“You’re one of the warriors from Universe 7! The slug man!”

“Namekian. My name is Piccolo, and this is my student, Android 21.”

Piccolo was not amused. For his part, 21 waved back like an amused child.

“There were (cough x2) two other fighters like (cough) you in the (cough x3) Tournament, right?”

“Those two are from Universe 6. You’re in Universe 7’s Earth.”

Quitela nearly had a heart attack.

“I-It’s true! I-I’m in Beerus’ universe! [_This is bad. Gods dammit, it’s **beyond** bad!_].”

“Take it easy, kid. You were…”

“Hey, who’re you calling a (cough x2) kid, green man!? (cough x2).”

“That’s our Master you’re talking to, brat! Show some respect!”

“BRAT!? (cough x2). THAT DOES IT!” 

(_The rodent jumps back to his feet, assumes his Hakaishin stance as “Beerus’ Madness” plays in the background_). “Hakai.” (_Nothing happens. Record scratch. Music screeches to anticlimactic halt_). “I said Hakai.” (_Nothing still_). “HAKAI! HAKAI, GODS DAMMIT, HAKAI! No…

Quitela fell to his knees, despondently stared at the palms of his hands. An indifferent 21 rolled his eyes. Piccolo awkwardly cleared his throat. 

“It’s obvious what happened, Quitela. The Omni-King took away your powers.”

“That’s why you couldn’t fly when you got here. Oh, and you’re mortal now, like us.” (_Flashes a cheeky smile_). “Isn’t that just _peachy_?” 

Piccolo stared sourly at 21. The android let out a grin of embarrassment. 

“Sorry, Master. Couldn’t resist.”

“W-What!? (cough x2). W-Were (sneeze x2) you two watching (sneeze) me this whole time!?”

“Duh! Who do you think saved you when you fell off that cliff?”

“Not my (cough x2) point, bug breath…”

“The name’s 21.”

“Whatever. How do you (cough x2) guys know what (sneeze x3) Zen-Oh did to me? I don’t (cough/sneeze x2) recall inviting you two to Universe 4!”

“Little birdie told us.” 

“That’s enough, 21.” (_Crouches to Quitela’s height_). “Look, all you need to know for now is that 21 and I are going to train you so you can regain your powers.”

“Really? You’d do that? For _me_? (_Kekeke!_).”

(_21 groans_). “Dear Kami, please tell me he’s not gonna be doing that all the time…”

A clearly annoyed Piccolo stood up. The Namekian was ready to rebuke his pupil for the millionth time, when a little boy’s voice was heard, its owner emerging from a nearby cavern.

“S-Sensei? M-Master Piccolo?”

Piccolo and 21 turned around. The android grinned an apologetic smile.

“We’re here, Shu. Sorry 'bout the noise. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Quitela squinted some more. Not far from 21 stood a little (dog?) boy who wore the same purple outfit favored by Piccolo and the android. The rodent’s hazy vision allowed no clearer details, but he thought it safe to assume the lad was quite tired, if the tone of his voice, oscillating between somnolence and puzzlement, was to be believed. Yawning out loud, Shu caught sight of Quitela and bowed politely.

“Oh, pardon me, Sir! Are you here to train with us?” (_Quitela does not answer_). “My name is Shu. Shu Soba. May I ask your name?”

“Sauza. Riazul Sauza. Call me Quitela.”

(_Shu yawns again_). “My apologies. Guess I’m a lot more tired than I thought.” (_Turns to Piccolo and 21_). “May I be excused?” (_Piccolo nods. Shu bows again_). “Nice meeting you, Mr. Sau—I-I mean, Mr. Quitela, Sir.” (_Leaves_). 

“Better keep an eye on him. See ya tomorrow, mousey.” (_21 leaves_).

“Mousey!?”

“Ignore him. “You must be hungry.”

Stirring the pot of stew, Piccolo poured some into a bowl, throwing in some warm bread for good measure. For his part, Quitela blinked in utter confusion. 

“(You’re going to give me food? Just like that?)” 

“Did you say something, Quitela?”

(_Quitela sweats nervously_). “N-N-No, n-n-n-nothing at all, Sensei!” 

The Namekian handed his guest a bowl full of stew. Riazul all but wolfed down its contents, much to Piccolo’s wonder. Belching loudly, the Naatsusian beamed an awkward smile.

“Sorry ‘bout that. Thanks, by the way (sneeze). For saving me. Food was good, too.”

(_Piccolo smiles kindly_). “Don’t mention it, kid.”

(_Quitela scowls_). “Don’t call me “kid.”

It took Quitela well over half an hour to fall asleep. Even after he managed it, his thoughts constantly replayed the events of the day as he called in vain for Kuru, Cognac, Ganos, anybody…

_The Omni-King’s Realm_…

Zen-Oh turned off the projector. Shortly afterward, the Omni-King and Grand Priest smiled warmly, looking on ahead as a group of nine entered the hall escorted by attendants, who saw themselves out afterwards while the newcomers bowed.

“Welcome, warriors of Universe 4. Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice. I realize you have very busy schedules, so I’ll keep this brief.”

A gigantic, orcish male ventured a look at the All-Universal Benefactor. 

“Please, don’t trouble yourself on our account, Sir. We are honored to be in your presence.”

A pink-haired human-like female took over. Her reverent tone gradually shifted to sadness.

“Indeed, Nink. We are also honored that you wish to aid our cause, Your Eminence. We were beginning to think Lord Qu—Subject Q would never answer for what he has done… [_…for what he did to **him**…_].”

A green-furred fennec fox solemnly continued.

“Caway echoes our feelings as a group, Sires. While the royal family of Planet Aspen has expressed reservations about this endeavor, I’m certain they will offer their support once we assure them it has the blessing of the Omni-King himself.”

A shy, seemingly disembodied voice was heard.

“Let me get a word in, Majora. Please forgive my boldness, Sir, but is it true? Has Qui—Subject Q lost his godhood and been exiled to another universe?”

(_Zen-Oh smiles kindly_). “It’s true, Gamisaras. He’s set to begin his new training regimen on Planet Earth of Universe 7, under Piccolo Jr.” 

The King of All showed the group a projection of <strike>Gohan’s dad</strike> a Namekian clad in a turban and purple _gi_. A slightly bemused Nink scratched the top of his head.

“I remember him. He scored many victories for Universe 7 at the Tournament of Power. He strikes me as an honorable warrior. A very powerful one.”

A wolf with a dark-green pelt cautiously stepped forward.

“Yet another obstacle to overcome, guys. We’ve made it this far. We can’t turn back now.”

(_Zen-Oh kills the projection_). “I never implied anything of the sort, Shosa. The terms of our deal are clear: once Q’s fighting skills return, you nine will have my leave to challenge him. Should any of you defeat him, I shall rescind his exile and have him return to Universe 4 to stand trial for his crimes.” (_Chuckles_). “Rat boy’s in so much hot water, I wouldn't be surprised if his defense attorney requested the death penalty.”

A small blue creature standing to Caway’s right swallowed hard, much to Zen-Oh's amusement. 

“I-I don’t think this is such a good idea, guys. He’s a God of Destruction!”

“Not anymore, Shantsa. Rat boy is mortal now, like you. Surely you guys can handle a no-good rodent with an annoying laugh, right?” (_Clears throat_). “Nevertheless, you are not allowed to use lethal force under any circumstance. Oh, and one more thing: Piccolo Jr. and his students are off limits, as are Son Goku, his friends, and anyone other than Subject Q. I don’t care how you do it, but make sure no harm comes to them. Feel free to get even with the damn rat, long as you adhere to these stipulations.”

A small, green insect-like being jumped to Majora’s shoulder.

“When will we receive permission to proceed?”

“In about a week’s time, Damon. Now if you’ll be so kind, please wait in the outer hall. I have other matters to attend to.” 

Bowing once more, the group exited the hall. Whis and Cognac entered at around the same an uneasy Grand Priest approached Zen-Oh.

“Sir, I have serious reservations about this part of the plan. You yourself chose Subject Q as a member of the Five Failures. Given his weakened condition, it is quite possible Nink and his warriors will defeat him. Do you intend to honor your promise if that happens?”

“We’re playing a dangerous game, Father of Angels. You know I wouldn’t be putting us through all this hassle if we had other options.” (_To Whis and Cognac_). “Any news about the missing gods?”

(_Deadpan Whis is…_). “None to report, Your Eminence. We sent word of their disappearance to the other Universes. We have also instructed their Attendants and Destroyers to come to this realm posthaste.”

(_Grim Cognac is…_). “I fear we are already too late. My men just found the corpse of an envoy. Among his possessions was this missive addressed to you, Sir.” 

The Guide Angel of Universe 4 handed the message over to the Grand Priest, who broke its wax seal and examined its contents, a letter the Father of Angels nearly dropped.

“Oh dear. It states that Geene and Arak were taken from their universes two days prior to the writing of this message.”

Zen-Oh took a look for himself, pocketed the message afterwards.

“The date’s from three weeks ago. This is bad.” (_Ponders briefly_). “Change of plans. I’ll travel to Universes 6 and 9 and carry out the undeification of Subjects C and S ahead of schedule. In the meantime, Future Me can entertain our guests.”

(_Whis bows_). “As you wish, my Lord.” 

(_Cognac does the same_). “We’ll tell Vados and Mojito to be ready.” 

The two Angels left the hall. Zen-Oh turned to one of his attendants.

“Tell Future Me to come here at once. It’s urgent.”

* * *

[1] Pronounced “naht-soo-see-an.” From “naʼastsʼǫǫsí” (na-as-tso-si). (Source: glosbe.com/en/nv).

[2] See “The Tale of Universe 4,” by GigglesMcfiggles (fanfiction.net—id: 12795595).

[3] See Note 2.


	2. Initiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quitela's first day as a mortal goes as well as you'd expect. Little does he know, he's about to make some very interesting friends...

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two:** Quitela**

Chapter 2: Initiation

_The next day, at dawn…_

“Wake up! Wake up, mousey!” 

A groggy Riazul screamed, fell all over himself upon seeing 21 staring at him. Rolling his eyes, the deadpan android helped the rodent to his feet.

“Get off your lazy ass. It’s training day.”

A dizzy Sauza stared back in disbelief, angrily pointed at his splint. The nerve of that green freak! 

“Are (cough x2) you kidding me!? Can’t you see I’m a [cough] little indisposed right now!?”

(_21 shrugs indifferently_). “Piccolo’s orders, runt.”

“Runt!? Why, you…”

(_21 rolls his eyes_). “Yeah, yeah, nibble it like it’s cheese. ‘Sides, I never said it was _your _training day. Me and my friends are gonna do the actual training. All you gotta do is sit back, watch, put that evil brain of yours to good use for a change. Who knows? You might actually learn something.”

“You don’t like me much, do you?”

(_Deadpan 21 is…_). “Does anybody?”

“Whatever.”

With that, the android took his leave. While he had half a mind to Hakai Bug Thing as soon as his powers returned, the late Lord Quitela came back to reality, beckoned by his grumbling stomach. Having looked to his left, Riazul noticed a small, wooden box lying next to his cot. Inside he found a sandwich, a pair of wrap-around glasses, and the following note:

_Have a feeling you’ll need these._

_ P._

_P.D.: Be patient with 21. He’s still sore about the Tournament._

Sauza’s mind overflowed with the events of the previous day: Zen-Oh’s impromptu visit, the dressing down of the millennium, his undeification, exile to U7, injuries, and near-rendezvous with a horrible clichéd death, absolutely unworthy of _him_, God of Destruction Quitela, Bane of Alarms, Scourge of Bodyguards, Deflowerer of Fortresses, the Black Market’s Greatest Ally. 

Looking at his new outfit, the young rat realized he only needed a cape, a turban, some green paint, and he could cosplay as Piccolo. Oh, wouldn’t _that_ be hilarious? Gods knew he could use a laugh right now. That would keep till later, though. Riazul sweated nervously.

“[_Wait a sec, did… did the slug man undress me in my sleep!?_].” (_Shudders_). “[_Did he… no! Don’t panic, Sauza. We’ll figure this out later. We have motions to go through_].”

Donning the glasses, Riazul discovered he could see almost like before. Nearby objects were no longer blurry. Faraway objects became clearer. He could perceive a few more shades of red, blue, yellow and a couple of other colors.

After eating, the weary rat shambled to his feet, almost fell down a couple of times before he at last quit the cave. Looking behind his shoulder several times, Riazul reached a nearby waterfall. He uneasily washed his face, then sat down, took off his shoes, and sank his bare feet into the water, cold be damned.

The weary rat allowed himself to relax. This felt… nice, albeit a sort of “nice” he hadn’t experienced in veritable eons. 

Sauza wandered off down memory lane. This used to be one of his favorite pastimes prior to his ascension. Afterward, his days were filled with scheming, storing away loot, chasing after girls whose names he couldn’t be bothered to learn, frittering hours, centuries away, playing videogames from his extensive collection.

“[_Damn Sazerac. Used t’say I’d never amount to anything. Feh… I’m not the one who’s burning for eternity somewhere in Universe 4’s Hell. Oh well. Ain’t the only thing ol’ Lyman got wrong_].”

The Naatsusian sighed. Lord Quitela IX used to be somewhat diligent during his first couple of centuries as Hakaishin. Truth be told, he rarely, if ever, went above and beyond the call of duty, the virtual opposite of his fellow deities, those self-righteous, hypocritical morons… 

Oh, how his ascension burned them! The countless laughs he had at the expense of that perpetually hemorrhoidal tadpole Arak, that emotionally constipated maritime hunk Geene (not that Riazul would ever admit this to anybody), that animated hairball-slash-cyst Iwan, that stuck-up, three-tailed asshole Liquiir (he was kinda cute too, though. Again, not admitting it), that beanpole of a clown by the name of Vermoud, that one-man fuck-up show called Sidra, that self-important pink eyesore known as Rumush, that geeky little shit “Pack” Mule, and that narcissistic Amazon Jerez! Sure, Lord Quitela received no accolades, but he got by. If nothing else, he was consistent, at least when compared to Beerus and his blimp of a twin brother. 

At first Cognac would berate the rodent whenever he underperformed. Coupla centuries later, though, the Angel gave up and allowed his charge to do as he willed, stepping in only when he thought mouse boy was about to do something particularly stupid or reprehensible. Not like Riazul ever listened, but it’s the thought that…

The mouse’s reverie was cut short by a kick to the face, which sent him flying headfirst into the lake. Though he only had full use of one arm, Sauza resurfaced in less than a minute. Coughing, spitting out water, the Naatsusian stepped on shore, relieved he’d somehow managed to _not_ fall down for a change as a small, ominous figure stared deep into him, almost as if he could see into Riazul’s heart of darkness or some other bullshit.

“Hey you! You [cough x3] seen who kicked (sneeze x2) me!?”

The soaking wet Riazul took a closer look. The new arrival was an axolotl lad who stood four-foot-three and was dressed like a martial artist. His bead-like black eyes peering through the morning sun, the amphibian hid both hands behind his back, balancing his entire body on the left foot while the right leg served as the “tail” for the scorpion stance he’d assumed. His expression neutral, the boy made a series of gestures using sign language, accompanied by electronic sounds emanating from the implant over his snout.

“<That would be me, vermin.>”

“Vermin!? Why, you little…”

“<Oh, you can read sign language. Good. There _is _a brain somewhere in that head of yours.>”

Enough talk. Pack Rat opens with a sloppy flying kick. Lizard Boy dodges, jumps back on one foot, launches a propelled punch into Sauza’s stomach. Restricted to the left arm, the rat fighter spits blood and saliva all over, takes several hits, parries badly, hits back poorly. Nausea and dizziness rear their ugly heads as the attacker rushes Sauza with a flying kick. 

The rodent traps the axolotl’s foot with his working hand, tosses him into the lake using his own momentum. The assailant bursts out of the water with a thunderous roar (or what seems like it). Riazul makes to shoot a ki blast at him, can’t generate the required energy. Swallowing hard, Piccolo’s newest student brazes himself for a beatdown as a tabby cat woman lands nearby, followed by 21 and a rooster-like fellow wearing dark glasses. The android is not happy at all.

“FENNEL! STOP THAT!”

“What do you think you’re doing!?”

“<What does it look like, Lozada? What Piccolo and Master ordered!>”

Having produced a foldable white cane from within his shirt sleeves, rooster boy found his way to the area. The sounds and smells let him know they were close to a waterfall.

“We were supposed to spar while the guy watched, not beat him to death! You’re lucky we arrived when we did, or you could’ve killed him!”

(_Pissed Fennel is…_). “<Killed him!? You think I don’t know my own strength, Jintan!?>”

An angry Lozada crossed her arms against her chest.

“Master Tien has warned you several times about this, Fennel. He’s gonna go ballistic when he finds out.”

(_Fennel grumbles_). “<I was only doing what 21 told me to do…>”

“H-Hey, don’t pin this one on me! I only asked you to spar with the guy, not go all Vegeta on him!” 

A mortified 21 approached Riazul, offered a helping hand. Sauza, however, angrily swatted it away, staggered back up, only to fall back down, bleeding, coughing, and sneezing all the way.

“G-Get away from me!”

(_Sad 21 is…_). “Don’t be like that, buddy. It was an honest mistake.”

“A mistake!? That (cough x5) fucking brat must’ve snapped (cough x3) half of my ribs!”

(_Sympathetic Lozada is…_). “Not likely. Otherwise you’d be wincing every time you took a…”

“I don’t (sneeze) recall asking (cough x2) for _your _opinion, cat bitch!”

That did it. A hissing Lozada unsheathed her nails, stood menacingly in front of the rodent, as if she couldn't quite make up her mind whether to pound or flay him.

"My name is Anise. Don't speak to me like that again, or I'll make you regret it. These claws are not for show." 

Meanwhile, an incensed Fennel glowered menacingly. Sweating nervously, the late Lord Quitela looked away, tried to avoid gazing at his own reflection on those black, bead-like, barely blinking eyes. One wrong word, one false move, and Mouse Boy would end up lying in a pool of his own blood.

To hell with it! A pissed Riazul flipped Fennel off as he got back on his feet. Barely blinking an eye, the axolotl floored the Naatsusian with a flurry of strikes to his stomach and ribcage. Coughing, wheezing, spitting bloody saliva, Sauza gasped for breath while a furious 21 grabbed Fennel, gave him an earful as his teammates saw to the crumpled rodent.

“THAT’S ENOUGH, FENNEL!”

Riazul grinded his teeth, cursing his weakness. Forget Bug Thing: Frog Boy here just moved to the top spot of his blacklist. A nice Hakai would surely put him in his place. 

“Y-You… you s-son of a…” 

The Naatsusian spitefully looked at the axolotl. Fennel stared back sourly, almost like he was thinking “And here I thought your blood was green, too. I’ll spill a bit more just to be safe, though.”

“Ok, ok, I’m (sneeze) sorry, I’m sorry! You (cough x3) don’t have to kill (cough) me over an insult!”

(_Fennel “speaks”/signals_). “<Don’t think I won’t do it if I have to.>”

(_Troubled Jintan is…_). “Way to go, Fenn. Now we gotta figure out how we’re gonna explain this to Master Piccolo.”

(_Piccolo lands nearby_). “Explain what?”

21 put on his thinking cap. He needed a cover story, and he needed it now. Soon as it was ready, the android released Fennel, cautiously approached the Namekian with a contrite expression.

“It was my fault, Master. I was sparring with Quitela and I let myself enjoy the fight too much. I take full responsibility for what happened.”

(_Piccolo facepalms_). “I don’t believe this! I specifically told you Quitela is in no condition to fight, 21!”

“I realize that, Master. I accept whatever punishment you see fit.”

Piccolo raised a nonexistent eyebrow. Something was amiss here.

“You four wait here.” 

The Namekian signaled 21 to join him inside a nearby cave, handed the bedraggled Riazul a strange-looking seed, told him to eat it, then turned to his pupil after they were out of sight and earshot.

“Tell me the truth.”

(_Shook 21 is…_). “T-The truth!? But I-I just said…”

(_Piccolo sighs_). “21... you’re a good student, but a terrible liar. I can tell you’re hiding something. The sooner you tell me, the sooner we can make things right.”

“Promise you won’t get mad?” (_Piccolo crosses his arms against his chest_). “Little late for that, I see.” (_Sighs_). “I asked Fennel to spar with Quitela so I could see what areas he needs to work on, but the kid went overboard and did a number on the rat. Totally my fault.”

“What were you thinking, 21!? You had no business telling Fennel to do that! He could have killed him!”

(_21 frowns_). “You’re right. I wasn’t thinking.”

(_Stern Piccolo is…_). “You lied because you didn’t want Fennel to get in trouble, right?” (_21 nods_). “You made a grave mistake, 21. You disobeyed my orders, and Quitela got hurt because of it. Now I appreciate you looking out for Fennel, but he's to blame as well. He has to learn restraint, and you have to learn to follow instructions and to think _before_ you act.”

(_Mortified 21 is…_). “I’m sorry, Master. I won’t do it again.”

The Namekian gently put his hand over the android’s shoulder.

"[_21... your heart's definitely in the right place, even if the rest of you isn't..._]. "Don’t lose sleep over it. I left Shu with Tien. Go check up on him.”

21 nodded, flew away after he and Piccolo exited the cave. Riazul had put his shoes back on and taken off the splint. Clearly a good sign, far as the Namekian was concerned.

“Feeling better?”

(_Overjoyed Riazul is…_). “It’s (sneeze x2) a miracle! I (cough) took a bite and my (cough x2) body healed itself in a flash! (cough x2). I’m still sick, though.”

“That was a Senzu bean. They heal physical injuries, but don’t work on diseases. [_Good thing all he has is a cold. Otherwise, we could’ve been in serious trouble…_].”

Riazul assumed a visionary tone. The heavens opened up in his mind’s eye as gleeful gods showered him with gold.

“I can (sneeze) see it now: Quitela and (cough x2) Piccolo’s Medical Frijoles. They (cough x3) cure everything from fractures to (cough) pulled hamstrings! (sneeze x2).”

(_Piccolo is not impressed_). “Not gonna happen.”

(_A glib Sauza shrugs_). “Fine, fine, make it (sneeze x3) Piccolo and Quitela’s Medical Frijoles (cough x3). Somebody wants top-billing…” 

(_Still not impressed_). “They’re not for sale.”

“Are you kidding!? I’m [cough] telling you, we (cough x3) start selling these, we’ll have (sneeze x3) more than (cough) enough money to (cough x2) buy this whole (cough x3) planet a trillion times over!”

“They’re not ours to sell. End of discussion. That’s not what we’re here for.” (_Turns to Anise and friends_). “Anise, Cumin, begin sparring. Quitela, make sure to watch. We’re going to practice ki control afterward.” (_Piccolo turns to Fennel_). “I need to talk to you, Fennel.” (_The axolotl grumbles to himself_). “21 tried to take the blame for what you did. What do you have to say for yourself?” 

(_A surly Fennel signals_). “<I lost control. I am to blame.>”

(_Serious Piccolo is…_). “Listen up: since this was 21’s mistake as much as yours, I won’t tell Tien this time. However, I won’t be so forgiving if you ever do anything like this again. Do I make myself clear?”

(_Sullen Fennel is…_). “<Yes, Master Piccolo.>”

“Go join the others.”

_Two hours and a half later…_

At around 8:00 AM, Piccolo took a quick look at the sky, shut his eyes, searched for a familiar ki signature. It didn’t take long to find it. He said he'd be there, after all. He wasn’t one to break a promise. The Namekian turned to the sweaty, dust-stained Tien-Shin Trio and his latest pupil.

"That’s enough sparring for now. Gather ‘round." (_Riazul and the Trio comply_). “Have you three been practicing ki control?”

(_Anise sweats nervously_). “I can’t seem to get the Tri-Beam right.”

(_Cumin looks down in shame_). “I can barely do the Dodon Ray.”

Fennel kept quiet. The axolotl raised his right hand, palm facing outward. Its three fingers curved as if they were holding something, the amphibian gathered several minute ki particles into a sphere, roughly the size of an apple. Piccolo blinked twice as the Tien-Shin pupil coolly dispelled the energy. His steely eyes met his own as the bemused Namekian cleared his throat.

Sauza looked away. Oh, how he yearned for a stiletto to aim at the lizard’s heart (or back, as discretion forewarned)! The Naatsusian smoldered with rage. He’d been made a fool of, by a mortal! _He_, God of Destruction Quitela, Raider of Armories, Divestor of Bank Accounts, Nemesis of the Foolish, Ruin of the Naïve! 

“I asked an old friend to help with our training session today.” (_Piccolo looks up to the sky_). “Should be arriving any minute now…”

“Hey there!”

A young man’s voice was heard. Anise waved happily after its owner landed nearby.

“Hi, Gohan!”

(_Gohan returns the greeting_). “How’re you guys doing?” (_Shakes Piccolo’s hand_). “How’s 21?”

“21’s fine. He and Tien are training Shu elsewhere.”

The eldest child of Son Goku looked behind his mentor, noticed an apprehensive Quitela sitting not far away, continued _sotto-voce_.

“Is that… _him_? The Hakaishin from Universe 4?”

(_Also sotto-voce_). “He’s not a Hakaishin anymore. Like You Know Who.”

“What’s he like?”

“Pretty standoffish. Doesn’t talk much, wolfs down his food in minutes, constantly looks over his shoulder, is restless most of the time. I don’t know what to make of him.”

“He’s been through a lot, Piccolo. Yesterday he was a Destroyer, on top of the world, and now he’s mortal, powerless, stuck in a strange universe with people he doesn’t know. I’d be nervous too if I were in his shoes.”

“I think there’s more to it than that, Gohan. Anyway, why don’t you bring him over while I help the Trio get ready?”

Gohan nodded, approached the former Destroyer. Riazul adjusted his glasses in time to see a young human male (or what looked like one) dressed in an orange _gi_, heading his way. The Naatsusian caught the scent of his jet-black hair flowing in the air. His finely built arms rose, fell with the scintillating lull of the near-noon wind, his well-toned legs sweating underneath his—.

(_Riazul slaps himself hard_). “[_The fuck’re you’re doing, Sauza!? This is the jerk who cost you the gods-damned Tournament... one of 'em, anyways_].”

(_Puzzled Gohan is…_). “[_The hell did he do **that** for?_]. Greetings, uh, Lord Quitela.”

The half-Saiyan crouched to the rodent’s height, offered him a handshake. Riazul begrudgingly accepted.

“[_Oh, you did **not** just…_]. Yeah… what’s your name again?”

“[_Hope I haven’t offended him…_]. Gohan. I’m Goku’s son. We fought your warriors at the…”

“[_Sure, rub it in, why don’t you?_]. The Tournament of Power. You were team leader, if memory serves.”

“[_Still mad we got you guys erased, I see…_]. Yeah… no hard feelings, right? We did what we…”

“[_The nerve of this guy!_]. Look, uh, Gobad…”

(_Unamused <strike>Gobad</strike> Gohan is…_). “[_Cheeky vermin!_]. Gohan.”

“[_Like I care…_]. Whatever. Never bring that up again. I’d rather not think about the stinking Tournament for as long as I live.”

(_Gohan straightens himself up_). “[_Yeah, like **we** had the time of our lives…_]. I understand.” (_Ponders briefly_). “How're you holding up?”

(_Riazul forces a smile_). “[_Oh, just peachy. Not like I lost all the things that ever mattered to me or anything…_]. Just fine. Being mortal doesn’t suck as much as I remember.”

(_Gohan forces a smile_). “[_Still lying through your teeth, I see…_]. Glad to hear that, Lord Qui…”

(_Riazul scowls_). “[_Salt on the wound much, pretty boy?_]. “Quitela,” “Sauza,” or “Riazul” will do.”

(_Gohan starts to walk away_). “[_Duly noted, you filthy little…_]. We should get going.”

(_Riazul smiles cheekily_). “Don’t let me detain you, Gogag.”

“[_Think you’re smart, you little shit?_]. _Gohan_. Everyone’s waiting for us, Sauza.” 

Riazul and Gohan returned to the area where Piccolo coached the Trio. The Namekian’s star pupil read their ki. Anise was totally psyched. Fennel quietly assessed his surroundings. Cumin was nervous and discomfited, perhaps praying for somebody to free him from this waking nightmare, a feeling the half-Saiyan knew all too well.

“[_Maybe I should say something to him…_]. Cumin!”

The fowl boy anxiously turned, trying to catch the source of that voice. 

“(_B-__Bawk?!_ ). I-I-Is that you, Master Gohan?”

(_Gohan smiles kindly_). “Don’t call me Master. You don’t have to be so formal around me.”

(_Awkward Cumin is…_). “M-M-My apologies, Sir—I-I mean, Gohan.” 

Gohan allowed himself a brief side-glance to the left. Riazul was busy mocking the rooster’s gestures and mannerisms, only stopping when he realized the half-Saiyan was sourly staring at him.

“You alright? You seem a little on edge.”

(_Cumin frowns_). “I-I’m terrible at this whole fighting thing. Fennel is prodigious (that means he excels). Anise is wondrous (that means she’s remarkable), but I… I suck. I don’t know why Master Tien bothers, to be honest.” 

(_Gohan shakes his head_). “Don’t speak that way, Cumin.” (_Catches something amiss_). “Cumin?”

The fowl boy’s expression changed from embarrassment to a mesmerized blank. Cumin’s pupils dilated. His increasingly rapid breathing grew erratic. His countenance froze into a stare that pierced time and space. The young bird felt strange voices he beheld no more, tongues uttering dark, echoing words.

Anise, Fennel and Piccolo realized something wasn’t right. Sauza watched and listened. Something told him that walking feather duster was experiencing something… unpleasant? Not even close. It was… _it_, a feeling Riazul was well acquainted with, even though Quitela hadn’t given it much thought in centuries. 

Gohan raised an eyebrow. Cumin was shy and awkward whenever he ventured into the outside world; that much he knew. While his eyes could be playing tricks on him, the signs were unmistakable: the rooster boy started to unravel the moment the half-Saiyan said “Don’t speak that way.” Piccolo’s star pupil swallowed hard. How could he make this right? 

Anise cautiously approached Cumin. The lad kept staring at nothing, mumbling a jumbled, fractured mixture of Hindi, Urdu, and English. The feline gently touched the rooster’s shoulder, gradually turned him towards her.

“Cume… it’s ok. Those people… they aren’t here now. They can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Uh… A… Anise?”

A confused Cumin came back to his senses. Realizing what had happened, the fowl lad released a tear, another one, two, three, four, five. Meanwhile, Riazul’s nose let him know that something else was amiss.

“Ugh… fuck’s that smell?”

(_Gohan is not happy at all_). “Quitela!”

(_Mortified Cumin is…_). “I… I did it again… didn’t I?”

(_Anise hugs Cumin_). “You didn’t do anything wrong, Cumin. It’s not your fault. Go to the waterfall and wash up. I’ll bring you a change of clothes soon, ok?

White cane in hand, Cumin sniffled away, secreting an oozy greenish-whitish trail on his wake. Riazul looked away, barely suppressed dry heaving. _It_ was back. _It _was there to stay.

“[_Damn bird. He’s like **them**, like the kids at the—NO! Don’t fucking go there, Sauza! That… That’s all behind you now. It happened eons ago, anyway… I—_].”

“Quitela.”

Riazul beheld a sour-faced Gohan. Wearing a look of shame and indignation, the half-Saiyan crossed his arms against his chest.

“You really oughta think before you speak in front of Cumin. You have no idea what he’s been through.”

“Hell’re you blamin’ _me_ for, pretty boy? I’m not the one who triggered him!”

“Just giving you a fair warning. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to apologize. Stay out of trouble.”

_Or else…_

Riazul grew languid. Had he heard right? Did Goku’s son…? No. Go-cart didn’t… but he might as well have. 

The Naatsusian once again smelled the scorching afternoon sand. His ears twitched as tumbleweeds fell around him. He was being summoned… by the toll of bells. The eye of Sauza’s mind caught on to one, then two, three hooded figures coming his way. Riazul’s urge to fight or fly bellowed with the bells. One hand reached out to him. The second produced a knife. Meanwhile, the third slowly, methodically…

_Five minutes later..._

The former Hakaishin found himself on the ground. Still dizzy, Riazul shambled back to his feet, surveyed his surroundings. No sign of Piccolo, 21, Gohan, or the Trio. Had… had it all been a bad acid trip? The rodent still felt sick to his stomach, never mind the gods-damned cold that pounced on him the second he resumed mortality. The trembling Sauza ran his fingers through his face.

_Wow… your fur’s really soft. Am I making you uncomfortable, Sauza? And here I thought you weren’t happy to see me…_

“[_I’ll kill you… I’ll fucking kill all of you… even if it’s the last thing I do… I swear it! I fucking swear it!_].”

“Quitela…”

The ex-Destroyer nearly jumped at the sound of Piccolo’s voice. Strangely enough, the Namekian’s countenance set Riazul at ease. The look on the slug man’s face suited him, to say the least.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m alright. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You ran off after Cumin’s meltdown.”

Sauza looked away. Otherwise, he would get lost in those eyes. He was done getting lost, literally or otherwise.

“You sure you’re ok?”

“Of course I’m sure. Let’s get out of here.”

Piccolo took after his newest pupil. He had a feeling Zen-Oh’s envoy had glossed over certain details. However, now wasn’t the time or place to fill in the blanks...

_Later, that afternoon…_

“Alright, that’s it for today.” (_To Anise, Fennel and Cumin_). “Go to the waterfall and wash up, then you can have supper.” 

Piccolo’s eyes met Riazul’s. The fallen god stared back with tired, apprehensive eyes. What was the green man cooking up in that demonic mind of his? 

“Since you’re new here, I asked 21 to make something for you. Don’t get used to it, though. Once you’re over that cold, you’ll have to hunt your supper.”

Sauza coughed twice, pointed at the Tien-Shin Trio.

“Hey, wait a minute! Those three get (cough) to eat for free, and _I _(sneeze) have to hunt!? How is _that _fair!?”

Anise tore herself away from her self-grooming… for all of five seconds.

“We brought our own food, Quitela. Don’t ‘spose you’re in the mood for tuna wraps?”

(_Cumin steps forward_). “Why don’t you wash up first, An? Fenn and I don’t mind waiting, right, buddy?”

(_Fennel “grumbles”_). “<Don’t I get a say in this?>”

(_Anise stifles a giggle_). “Cume, it’s ok. All we’re gonna do is bathe…”

“…with our bathing suits _on_. That means we’re not gonna do anything inappropriate, right, Quitela?”

(_Riazul scowls_). “(If by “inappropriate” you mean me wringing your neck and stuffing my pillow with your stinking feathers, then I’m not making any promises, chicken shit).”

(_Piccolo raises an eyebrow_). “You got something to say, Quitela?”

“No, Sensei.” 

The Naatsusian yawned. When Riazul opened his eyes, he realized Fennel was staring at him like he’d just finished murdering him a thousand times over.

“The hell’re _you_ starin’ at? Go hump a porcupine, kid.”

The livid axolotl almost jumped Riazul. Fortunately, Piccolo stopped him in the nick of time. 

“Restraint, Fennel. Remember what we talked about.” (_Looks sourly at Riazul_). “You’d better learn to keep your mouth shut, boy. It might save your life one day.”

“[_No argument here_].”

_Later, at the lake…_

Riazul stole a furtive glance as Cumin stripped to his swimming trunks. The blind rooster stood around five-foot-two. The veiny eyes underneath his glasses bore light yellow scleras. At their center they held small, black irises. 

Now that his shirt didn’t obstruct the view, the mouse took in those black, brown, and white feathers running through Jintan’s pudgy-yet-muscly body. The feathers, however, were interrupted by a series of burn scars that began at Cumin’s chin, created wide, irregularly shaped, featherless patterns around the rather broad back, arms, chest, and abdomen, complimented by variegated patches of dry, scaly skin spread all around the fowl lad's frame. 

Though long since scarred over, those burns likely were second, perhaps even third degree, when fresh. Cumin’s body most likely couldn’t heal naturally, so it probably required several skin grafts, if the rudimentary medical knowledge Riazul gleaned millennia ago still applied.

Cumin’s comb was barely a vestigial membrane, let alone a symbol of strength and virility. His wattles were faded and eroded, melted to near extinction. Luckily, his black and white tail feathers fared somewhat better. They weren’t much to look at, but they protected his rear from the elements, as well as impertinent eyes. There were also those bird-like artificial legs and feet, perfectly adjusted to the fowl boy’s age and stature, in pretty good condition, too. Might fetch a pretty penny at the black-markets back in...

“Quitela? Yo, Quitela!”

“H-Huh!?”

“You alright, man? You’ve been standing there for a while now.”

“O-Oh, uh… just [cough x2] remembering some stuff I [sneeze x2] forgot back in Universe 4, Drumsticks.”

“Cumin. My name is Cumin.”

“Whatever.”

Riazul stripped down to his boxer shorts. Crossing his legs and shutting his eyes, the Naatsusian sat on top of a rock buffeted by the waterfall.

“[_Keep it together, Sauza. You don’t want a repeat of **that** day, do you?_].”

“<Told you he was weird.>”

(_Anise takes a deep breath_). “Behave yourself, Fenn.”

“Yeah, don’t start again, Fenn.”

“<Mind your own business, Jintan. This is between Lozada and…>”

“Hey, don’t tell me what to do! I’m not a kid!”

“<Long as you keep acting like one, I’ll keep treating you like one.>”

“Takes one to know one, Márathos.”

"<I’d shut my beak if I were y…>”

(_Unhappy Anise is..._). “That’s enough, you two! Same damn bickering every day! ‘Bout time you two acted your age.”

“<I _am _acting my age. It’s not my fault Jintan won’t grow the f…”>

(_Anise and Cumin exclaim in unison_). “FENNEL!”

“You two should be ashamed of yourselves! Kami knows what Quitela’s thinking about us now!”

“Leave [sneeze x2] me out of [cough x2] this, kitty-cat.”

“<Disrespectful vermin…>”

“Fennel, enough. Same goes for you, Cumin.” 

The rumbling waterfall filled the ensuing silence. At long last, Riazul could relax, feel at ease. Everyone kept quiet… for all of five minutes.

“<I still think he’s weird.>”

(_Anise sighs_). “Fennel, please…”

“You [cough x4] guys say something?”

“Fennel thinks you’re weird. That means he finds you odd.”

The axolotl stared sourly at the blind rooster. Anise facepalmed loudly, then looked at them, as if to say “I give up.”

“You don’t say?”

“Then again, you find everyone you don’t like weird, right, Fenn?”

“<Don’t rope me into this, chicken legs.>”

(_Cumin chuckles_). “Now he called me “chicken legs.”

“Lemme guess [sneeze], ‘coz you’re a rooster?”

“Actually, I’m half pheasant.”

“<Nobody cares.>”

“Don’t let his rough exterior fool you. Fenn may act aloof and whatnot, but he’s pretty cool.” (_Clears his throat_).

(_Fennel swallows hard_). “<Oh crap…>”

(_Pleading Anise is..._). “Cume, please don’t...”

(_As Riazul coughs/sneezes in irregular intervals_):

_Above the lowly plants it towers,_

_The fennel, with its yellow flowers,_

_And in an earlier age than ours_

_Was gifted with the wondrous powers,_

_ Lost vision to restore._

_It gave new strength, and fearless mood;_

_And gladiators, fierce and rude,_

_Mingled it in their daily food;_

_And he who battled and subdued,_

_ A wreath of fennel wore._

_Then in Life's goblet freely press,_

_The leaves that give it bitterness,_

_Nor prize the colored waters less,_

_For in thy darkness and distress_

_ New light and strength they give_![1]

“Deep down you’re all about that, aren’t you, buddy?”

(_Fennel’s face burns beet-red_). “<Yeah, and deep down I’m all about deep-frying and serving you with a side of string beans and mashed potatoes.>”

“Now that’s just hurtful.”

“The hell was (sneeze x3) that, Drumsticks? Not that I (cough) care.”

“You never heard of Longfellow?”

“What part of “I’m (cough x2) from another (cough x3) universe” don’t you understand?”

(_Anise takes a deep breath_). “Cumin… we’ve talked about this. You can’t go around quoting poetry at random. Most people don’t have a clue what you’re talking about. It’s confusing. It’s…”

“But I love poetry, Anise. I…”

“<I hate that damn poem.>”

“You hate everything I like, Fenn.”

“<I wouldn’t if you’d stop showing off. We already know you’re smarter than the rest of us, Jintan. You don’t have to rub it in our faces every single time.>”

“I’m sorry, buddy. I was just trying to… y’know…”

“Get on our nerves?”

The grumbling axolotl flew to Riazul’s spot. Once there, he spoke and signaled in front of the rodent. Sauza squinted: from what little he could see without his glasses, Fennel was wearing swimming boxers of an indeterminate color, along with an obviously wet t-shirt without designs.

“<Think before you open your mouth, rat.>”

“Well, tell (cough x4) Colonel Sanders over (sneeze) there to think before (cough x2) he opens _his_.”

“My name is Cumin.”

“Whatever.”

“That’s enough, you two. Leave Quitela alone, Fennel.”

Fennel returned to Anise and Cumin’s side. The Tien-Shin Trio and the Naatsusian held their peace… for about thirty seconds.

“<Wow. You guys make such _stirring _conversation.>”

“Fenn thinks we’re bad at shooting the breeze. That means…”

(_Riazul grumbles_). “I know what (cough x3) “shooting the breeze” means, Drumsticks. I’m not an (sneeze x2) idiot.”

A saddened Cumin swam towards the Naatsusian. He’d done it again…

“Don’t be like that, man! Look, I’m sorry if I offended you, ok? I was just trying to be friendly.”

“You wanna be friendly? (cough x2). Keep quiet for the rest of the century.”

“H-Hey, that’s not fair!”

(_Anise is visibly annoyed_). “Cumin, enough. Get back here and let Quitela be. He’s not in the mood for chatting.” (_Cumin complies_).

“<Don’t bother, Jintan. Guy’s incorrigible.”>

“How do you figure that?”

“<I can tell what he’s thinking.>”

“And what would that be?”

Riazul grumbled once more. Fennel narrowly avoided facepalming himself.

“<Quitela hates your guts, Jintan, just like he hates mine, Lozada’s, Piccolo’s, 21’s! You need to pay more attention.>”

“You realize I’m blind, right?” (_Riazul grumbles again_).

“<Remember Chiaotzu’s lessons. You can sense a person’s state of mind by reading their ki.>”

“I haven’t forgotten, Fenn. It’s just… I’m terrible at it.” 

Sauza grumbled yet again. A stern-faced Fennel floated out of the water, hovered above Cumin, and crossed his arms against his chest.

“<No excuses. You used to be terrible at getting around without having someone to guide you, and you learned to do it. You and I could barely stand when we first met. Look at us now. We learned to fly, do all kinds of things we couldn’t even imagine. If you could learn all that, you can learn Ki Synergy. Get your beak out of those stinking books and train yourself. I swear, you’re so damn lazy sometimes, Jintan.>”

“Fennel, you’re way out of line. Cumin isn’t lazy. You know that.”

“I love books, Fenn. I…” 

“WILL YOU THREE [cough x2] SHUT UP ALREADY!?”

Riazul nearly slipped into the water. The rat hastily stood up on top of the soaking wet rock. 

“If it’s not too (cough x3) much to ask, could I have ten (cough x5) whole minutes of uninterrupted peace (sneeze x3) and quiet!? You guys’re givin’ me (sneeze x2) a friggin’ migraine!” 

The ex-Hakaishin raised an eyebrow, noticed Anise and Fennel looking at him funny. Sauza looked down, realized his shorts somehow got torn open, laying him bare for all to see. Yelling an unflattering high-pitched scream, Riazul scrambled to cover himself, then hid behind the rock.

(_Cumin feels the area around him_). “What’s goin’ on, guys? Was that Quitela yelling?”

(_Anise blinks awkwardly_). “Fenn… if it’s not too much trouble, would you kindly hand Quitela his pants?”

“<Hell no! Why me!?>”

Anise glanced at Cumin, then looked back at Fennel, as if saying “You really want me to answer that?” 

“<Fine!>”

Fennel flew to the area where Riazul had left his clothes. The axolotl grabbed a pair of pants, dashed to the rock, and threw them at the rat’s face, nearly knocking him off his feet. His face burning a mortified crimson, the former Destroyer got dressed in a heartbeat. 

“Thanks, kid.”

(_A stern Fennel signals_). “<Call me a kid again and you’ll be eating through a syringe.>”

“That’s enough, Fennel. Get back here and leave Quitela alone.” 

The amphibian complied. A mortified Riazul sat back down on top of the rock, taking great care not to slip and fall into the sharp stones below.

“You three didn’t see nothin’.”

“_I _didn’t.”

“<Nobody asked you, Jintan.”>

(_Anise grumbles out loud_). “Quiet, both of you! Sorry ‘bout that, Quitela. We’ll let you have some peace and quiet. Least we can do.”

“Thanks, kitty-cat.”

The Trio and the mouse kept quiet. Sauza vainly strove to dismiss the newest image within his mind's eye. That Anise female wasn't particularly pretty, but damn if that strapless two-piece swimsuit didn't suit her. At long last, peace, tranquility, quiet, ease.

Some two minutes later, however…

“Actually, I…”

(_Everyone screams_ _in unison_). “CUMIN!”

“S-Shutting up now. S-S-Sorry, guys.”

(_Quitela takes a deep breath_). “[_‘Bout damn friggin’ time…_].”

_Later at night, at the campsite_…

“So it’s true, then? You’re a Hakaishin?”

Seated near the campfire, Cumin excitedly pecked at his supper: corn on the cob, with a side of salad. Riazul grumbled, spat back in a sulky tone.

“[_What'll it take to shut you up, bird!?_]. _W__as_. Past tense [cough x2]. Salt on the wound much, Drumsticks?”

“It’s _Cumin_.” (_Riazul rolls his eyes, sneezes_). “Gesundheit. So what happened? Why’d they fire you? There must’ve been a reason.”

A clearly annoyed Anise tore herself away from a half-eaten tuna wrap.

“That’s enough, Cume. He doesn’t want to talk about it. We should respect that.”

“Sorry, it’s just…” (_Utterly enthused_). “This is so cool! We get to hang out with an actual God of Destruction, even if it’s just you, Quitela.”

(_Riazul yawns_). “Gee, thanks.”

“You have to be so negative all the time?”

“You have to [sneeze x2] be so annoying all the time?”

Fennel briefly turned away from his garlic mackerel with a side of marinated mealworms.

“<He’s got a point there.>”

“Thanks for nothing, Fenn.”

“Seriously, it’s a miracle anybody wants to be around you, kid.”

“Hey, who’re you callin’ a kid!? I’m fourteen years old! _You_ sound even younger than that!”

“[_Wait, he’s fourteen!?_]. Oh please.” 

Riazul stood up, pointed at himself with the thumb of his left hand.

“I was born over a hundred million years ago. Your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents weren’t even sperm back then, so don’t gimme any lip, KFC [cough x4].”

“Wow. I knew Destroyers are jerks, but you’re really something else, Quitela.”

“Can we please change the subject? [sneeze x2].”

Fennel put aside his cleaned up plate, then “spoke”/signaled for his audience.

“<Destroyers are overrated, anyway, like that anorexic cat who hangs around at Mrs. Briefs’ house, eats all her food, and throws a tantrum when he doesn’t get his way. The hell was his name again?>”

(_Anise chuckles_). “Beerus. Sure you’re not mistaking him for somebody else, Fenn?”

“<Give me some credit, Lozada. I could pick out that constipated countenance of his from a crowd of millions. Guy’s such a Kami-damned bean pole, I’m surprised Vegeta hasn’t spayed and neutered him yet.>”

“(_Kekeke!_). Spayed and neutered! [cough x2]. I’d pay to see _that_!”

“You don’t like Beerus at all, do you?”

“Goes without sayin’, kitty-cat. Me and that guy, we go together like oil and fire.”

(_Cumin helps himself to more corn_). “That means they don’t get along.”

(_Spiteful Riazul is…_). “Why thank you, Captain Obvious [cough x3]. Anything else you wanna fill us in about, like where do babies come from? Lemme give you a hint: it’s got something to do with that thing your mom did with your dad in the bathroom of that diner they used to wash dishes at [sneeze x2].”

His expression inscrutable, Cumin produced his cane and quit the scene. 

“Quitela! Cumin’s really sensitive about that!”

“Well, my ears are really sensitive to bullshit. Deal with it."

An irate Fennel grabbed Riazul by his shirt collar, stared daggers into his eyes.

“<That was a step too far, you buck-toothed creep. Find Cumin and apologize before I feed that tongue of yours to 21.>”

“O-Okay, okay, n-no need to get violent! (_Kekeke!_). I-I’ll go make nice now!”

The Naatsusian walked away. It took all of two minutes for him to find Cumin seated near the edge of a cliff, staring at the night sky as he pecked at some corn at varying intervals.

_Sometimes a thousand twangling instruments_

_Will hum about mine ears, and sometime voices_

_That, if I then had waked after long sleep,_

_Will make me sleep again: and then, in dreaming,_

_The clouds methought would open and show riches_

_Ready to drop upon me that, when I waked,_

_I cried to dream again_.[2]

(_Sighs_). “What do you want, Quitela?”

“H-How did you know it was me!? I-I thought you were blind! [cough x2].”

“I can sense ki, remember? Which is more than what you can do right now… Squeaks.”

“Squeaks?”

“A mean nickname deserves a stupid one, I always say.”

The former deity sat at the bird lad’s side and had a look. Cumin’s feathers shone under the moonlight, even as he tore his eyes from the skies above to peck at his corn cob, or scratch his comb and wattles.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? The night sky filled with stars. Used to look at it all the time, back when I could see, when I was a chick. That’s when I was a kid, by the way.”

“Gee, thanks. And here I was about to ask when you had the operation [cough x4].”

“How’s it looking tonight?”

“Pretty.”

“Thanks a lot, Your Godship. Never would’ve figured out that one on my own.”

“Don’t get smart with me, Golden Skillet [sneeze x2].”

“Would it kill you to elaborate?”

“Need I remind you [cough x3] I’m from a different universe?” (_Examines the panorama_). “These aren’t the stars I used to see when I… uh…”

“When you what?”

“Never mind [sneeze].” (_Smiles kindly_). “Gotta say, this sky, it’s something else, alright [cough x2].”

(_Cumin chuckles_). “Figured you’d be sick of it by now, you being around for ages and whatnot. You ever get tired of looking at the same things year after year, century after century?”

“Well…”

“Me, I can’t even begin to imagine what that’d be like, seeing everyone I love get old and die while I stayed the same forever and ever. Thank Kami I’m not like that.”

“You’re ok with dying. Big deal.”

“There’s the afterlife, sure. Even if there wasn’t one, though, I’d rather die a million times than stay blind and deformed forever. Heck, I’d still pick death over going back to the way I was.”

“And what would that be?”

“Didn’t Piccolo tell you? I used to be an assassin. Same as Fennel and Anise. Plus, we’re androids, like 17, 18 and 21. We were lucky to find our way to the Tien-Shin Dojo, where Master Tien gave us a home and a purpose. We don’t take life anymore: we protect it.

”What for?” 

“Excuse me?”

“You guys don’t get paid? [cough x3]. You work for free?”

“We get an allowance every week. It’s not much, but it’s enough to buy groceries or...”

“Not what I meant, Jintan [sneeze]. You people go through [cough x2] that crap every day with a [sneeze x3] service-is-it’s-own-reward-shit-eating grin [cough x4], and that’s _it_?”

“What, you think we’re policemen, like Master Krillin?”

“Who’s Master Krillin?”

“Short, bald guy, spots in his forehead, married to 18, has a daughter?”

“Yeah, that really narrows it down, Drumsticks [sneeze x2].”

“Hold the sarcasm, Squeaks.”

“The name’s Quitela.”

“Whatever.”

(_Brief pause. Riazul and Cumin chuckle out loud_).

(_Riazul ponders a bit_). “Krillin… where have I heard that name before?” (_His tone turns bitter_). “I remember now. That creep who cheated at the Tournament.”

(_Outraged Cumin is…_). “Master Krillin doesn’t cheat!”

“The guy clearly cheated [cough x2], Drumsticks. He threw a stinky shoe at one of my warriors, that moron [cough x2] Majora, distracted him long enough to knock [sneeze] him off the arena [sneeze], and got away with it.”

“Seriously? You’re gonna badmouth your warriors after they gave it their all?”

“I’d be singing a different tune if they’d actually, oh I dunno, _won_! [sneeze x2]. Majora answered to _me_, chicken legs. I could’ve used his pelt [cough x3] to decorate my fireplace if I so wished, and anybody who’d dare say otherwise would’ve gotten [cough x2] Hakai’d for their trouble. Hell, I’d have been better off if I’d done that to those losers in the first place [sneeze].”

(_Cumin produces his cane, steps away_). “I don’t believe it. You’re an asshole. You know that, right?”

“(_Kekeke!_). Next you’ll tell me you’re adopted and Tien’s not your real dad. Will the plot twists ever cease?”

(_Furious Cumin is…_). “Don’t talk to me about my father, you fucking jerk!”

“Oh look, he can swear! Isn’t that just _peachy_? [sneeze].”

“You know what, Quitela? Why don’t you throw yourself off that cliff, save us a lot of trouble?”

“Fuck you!”

“Like hell!”

“You two!”

The youths turned. Piccolo stood not far from where they were. He was clearly unhappy.

“That’s enough bickering for tonight. Go join the others, Cumin. We’re going to meditate in a while.”

“Right away, Master.”

The rooster boy returned to the campsite, seemingly unaware that Riazul was mocking him behind his back.

“As for you, I came to tell you supper’s ready, though I’m starting to think it would do you good to go hungry for one night.”

“You think I don’t know what hunger’s like, green man? [cough x3].”

“You don’t know anything about a lot of things, Quitela.”

“[_Yeah, keep thinking that, Teach…_].” 

The Namekian and his charge headed back to camp, where a rather giddy Android 21 was waiting.

“There you are!”

21 hugged Riazul tightly. Sauza was having a hard time breathing.

“Oops. My bad.”

Having released the violently panting Naatsusian, 21 handed the mouse a bowl of porridge.

“Made it myself. I call it “21’s Super Special Awesome Surprise.”

(_Riazul shrugs_). “Whatever. Better'n nothin’, I 'spose [sneeze]. I’d rethink the name, though.”

The rodent ate noisily and hastily, much to the disgust of the four androids. Riazul then spotted Shu standing behind 21, staring at him as if at a loss for words.

“The fuck’re you lookin’ at, brat?”

(_Pissed 21 is…_). “Hey, don’t talk to Shu like that! He’s just a kid!”

“And your point is?”

(_Brusque Piccolo is…_). “That’s enough, Quitela. Shut up and eat.”

(_Bitter Cumin is…_). “It wouldn’t kill you to say “thank you,” y’know. It’s not like we _have _to feed you, Squeaks.”

“Yeah, nice to [cough x3] hear all’s well and good in [cough x2] Sun and Rainbow Land, Drumsticks, but _I_ live in the real world.”

The rat tossed aside the empty bowl, released a loud belch. 

"Gods, was that good! What’d you make this with, bug boy?”

(_21 counts with his fingers_). “Not much. Just some oatmeal, cream of wheat, mashed corn, water, eggs, salt, pepper, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, vegetables, basil…”

Riazul’s eyes widened. His stomach began to rumble quite loudly. 

“I-I’m sorry, could you repeat that last part?”

“Basil?”

“No, the one before.”

“Vegetables?”

“One before that one.”

“Yogurt?”

“And the one before?”

“Cottage cheese?”

(_Riazul winces_). “The one before?”

“Milk?”

Sauza anxiously grabbed 21’s shirt.

“For Zen-Oh’s sake, _please_ don't tell me you put milk, cheese and yogurt in that porridge!”

(_21 blinks in utter confusion_). “Ok. Then I won’t tell you.”

The rumbling reached its peak. Riazul spotted a nearby lake, plunged head-first into the water without another word. A few seconds later, a gigantic gas bubble ruptured the ripples in the surface, followed by another, then two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, till the lake seemed to be boiling, like a witch’s brew. The mouse resurfaced after the bubbling ceased, jumped into a nearby bush, where he painfully and loudly relieved himself.

(_Grossed out Fennel is…_). “<I wasn’t that thirsty, anyways.>”

(_Piccolo blinks in disbelief while Riazul spills his guts_). “21? What did you put in that porridge?”

(_Confused 21 is…_). “Like I said, oatmeal, cream of wheat, mashed corn, water, eggs, salt, pepper, milk, cottage cheese, yogurt, vegetables, basil... did I do something wrong?”

“I could be mistaken, but it seems Quitela is lactose intolerant.”

“What did Lactose ever do to _him_?

(_Helpful Cumin is…_). “What Piccolo means is, Quitela can’t eat or drink dairy products, like yogurt, milk, cheese, ice cream, and so on. If he does… well, you guys saw what happened.”

“What!? That’s a thing!?”

(_Deadpan Anise is…_). “One girl at my school had it. She used to take boxed lunches from home ‘coz the cafeteria didn’t have that many options.”

(_Aghast 21 is…_). “I-I didn’t know, Piccolo! I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear!”

“You’re not in trouble, 21. _I_ didn’t know, either. Seems Zen-Oh’s envoy forgot to mention that little detail in his report.”

(_Worried Cumin is…_). “Is Quitela gonna be alright?”

“You three get started on meditation. I’ll check up on him.” (_Everyone else leaves_). “Hold up, Cumin. I need to talk to you.”

(_Cumin swallows hard_). “Is it about what happened near the cliff?”

(_Piccolo crosses his arms against the chest_). “That was a really nasty thing you said. I expected better from you.”

(_Sad Cumin is…_). “That rat pissed me off and…”

“No excuses. Quitela may not be easy to get along with, but he’s your teammate now, like Anise, Fennel, 21, Shu, and me. You don’t have to make friends with him. You don’t even have to like him, but I expect you two to treat each other with respect. Do I make myself clear?”

“I apologize, Master. I won’t do it again. It’s just… the guy’s such a jerk to everybody. I can’t stand that kind of people, ‘specially when they bring up… you know.”

(_Piccolo softly puts his hand on Cumin’s shoulder_). “Try not to dwell on that. Quitela will get what’s coming to him, but it’s _my _job to discipline him, not yours. Do you understand?” (_Removes_ _hand_).

“So what am I ‘sposed to do?”

“You’re a smart kid, Cumin. You’ll know when to talk to me or 21 if you need to. Just remember what I said: respect Quitela, and I’ll make sure he does the same for the rest of you. That much I can promise.”

(_Cumin bows respectfully_). “Thank you, Master. I won’t disappoint you again.”

(_Piccolo smiles kindly_). “Go join the others. I’ll be there soon.”

Cumin complied. Piccolo headed to the bushes, where his newest pupil attended to business.

“Quitela? Are you alright?”

Sauza raucously broke wind, let out an excruciating moan, almost as if begging to be put out of his misery. 

“There’s poison ivy growing nearby. Make sure you don’t touch it.”

Riazul emerged from behind the bush. The Naatsusian held his pants up with the left, furiously scratched his posterior with the right. Piccolo barely repressed a laugh.

(_Butthurt Riazul is…_). “You think this is funny!? [cough x3].”

“[_From where **I’m** standing? Definitely_]. You and Cumin owe each other an apology.”

“The hell for? [sneeze x3]." (_Ponders a bit_). “Is it about those things I said? (_Kekeke!_). Chicken shit needs to grow thicker skin, slug man. I’ve been called _way_ worse.”

“Not my point. I don’t tolerate that kind of behavior in my students. Here we respect one another, no matter how we might feel about each other.”

“Hey, _he _started it!”

“I don’t care who started what. You had no business making that remark. You have no idea how much you hurt Cumin when you…”

“Yeah, yeah, and your point is?”

“Don’t get smart with me, rat. You’re not a god anymore, and we’re not going to put up with your nonsense. Do I make myself clear?”

“Sure, sure…”

“Quitela…”

“Alright, alright, yes, _crystal_! [sneeze]. Don’t rip my fucking head off!”

“Watch your tongue, rodent. Cumin and the others are your teammates, and I am your teacher. You _will_ respect us, or I’ll make you wish you’d stayed erased. Got that?

“Yes… _Master_. [_I’m gonna own **you** and the rest of this dump in a coupla weeks. Just you wait, green man_].” 

The rodent’s stomach rumbled once more. Sauza feverishly scratched himself.

“I’ll get some herbs and make an ointment for that itch. In the meantime…” (_Smiles slyly_) “…try not to spill your guts.” (_Rimshot, please_). 

With that, Piccolo took his leave. Riazul returned to the bush for another run…

* * *

[1] Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, “The Goblet of Life” (1842), vv. 21-35 (Source: [www.h](http://www.h)

wlongfellow.org/poems_poem.php?pid=75).

[2] William Shakespeare, _The Tempest_, III, 2: 1535-41.


	3. Conspiracy from the Void

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet our main antagonists and their victims. See note at end of chapter.

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two:** Quitela**

Chapter 3: Conspiracy from the Void

_The Void Realm…_

She knew it would be useless.

Long had they lingered in the abyss.

Things hadn’t changed at all since day one… or was it day one trillion and tenth?

Nobody knew.

Nobody cared.

_She _certainly didn’t.

Within the courtyard of a dilapidated palace, a draconic female clad not unlike a shinobi scoured the horizon, hoping to see… see what? Her clan’s ancient dwelling? Her home planet, what little of it survived?

Fortunately, the end of their troubles was nigh. She and others of the same mind would return in triumph, punish the usurpers, and regain power over the universes. Whoever dared say otherwise would join the vanquished in oblivion.

The fool would never agree to this. Even now he would sacrifice the All-Cosmos and its inhabitants, the very Realm of Void and its denizens, if doing so would spare his precious honor.

Tired of pondering, the dragon woman turned around in anticipation of a new arrival. An armor-clad anthropomorphic pangolin-like being with the built of a seasoned warrior (and the scars to match) bowed before the ninja, looked upon her eyes.

“Hail, Lady Chifir[1].”

“Hail, Lady Kangra[2].”

“Our sorties into the Second, Third, and Eleventh Universes are complete. All three are wrest from the grasp of the All-Sovereign.”

“What of their Destroying Deities? Have they been apprehended?”

“Lords Mulaban and Ganlu apprehended the Hakaishin of the Second and Eleventh as commanded. Lady Sencha oversaw the capture of the one from the Third.”

(_Chifir raises an eyebrow_). “Had she none to entrust?”

“She was adamant on overseeing the operation, milady. Mine insistence notwithstanding, she would not discover her reasons.”

(_Chifir ponders briefly_). “Trouble not thyself. The Third Universe favours intellect and innovation. ‘Twas a matter of course it and its Destroying Deity would captivate her so.”

“Aye, in troth. ‘Tis pity Lady Kocha can no longer—”

“Are the imprisoned deities sound of health and able of body?”

“They are… for the most part. The one from the Third resisted at first, yet was compell’d to yield afore greater puissance was call’d for. The ones from the Second and Eleventh fought long and hard ‘til they were defeated. Lady Sencha ordered Sir Gyokuro to mend their wounds prior to their audience. It speaketh most well of Lords Ganlu and Mulaban that they so easily procur’d the prisoners alive, barring the need to—”

“What of the First, Fifth, Eighth, and Twelfth?”

“Their sieges are still underway. Our spies on the First and Eighth greatly eased our incursions therein. Dispers’d and affright’d, their greatest warriors have yet to learn of our ruse. Lord Lahpeth’s forces currently battle in the Fifth, same as Lord Caron’s at the Twelfth. If I may be so bold, I believe ‘twould be best to—” 

“What of Lord Mate?”

“The Grand Numen refuses to attend, as thou didst foresee, milady. Nevertheless, he would have me tell thee: thou hast command o’er the capture of Lords Jerez, Vermoud, and Mule. Therefore, the three fall under thine aegis. He is certain thou shalt follow thy best judgement, as when thou and he vanquished—”

“Thou hast mine thanks, Lady Kangra. Bring forth the prisoners.”

With that, Kangra bowed and took her leave. Seated in a _seiza _pose, Chifir gathered her mind.

“[_Hopefully this triumph shall offset mine failure at the Tenth Universe. To think the scion of Hariya would elude mine grasp, let alone curtail our siege of Angelic Drive! The Primal Ones were merciful, indeed. Be as it may, his Destroying Might is ours, and he is but a mortal. Nevertheless, ‘tis shame he and Agent 0301 were lost. Her might and skill were without pareil. As for Rumush XII, our crafts and magics could have forg’d that wastrel into a warrior of middling might. Though unfortunate, his evasion may yet be…_].”

The dragon woman’s eyes surveyed her surroundings. The citadel reeked of death and spilt blood. Great battles were fought here, in this very courtyard. Chifir perceived strange shades during her meditation and training sessions. Featureless as they were, they retained some sense of who, of what they once were. At certain times, the shinobi perceived snippets of voices, fragments of names unfamiliar to her. Perhaps with Mate’s help she could…

Kangra returned, accompanied by a pair of Gorgon-like females, along with two other beings, each holding the chains of three vanquished deities. Their hands tied behind their backs, Gods of Destruction Jerez, Vermoud, and Mule looked on ahead as the shinobi rose to her full height. 

Standing roughly six-foot-nine, Chifir seemed to have a round-tipped snout. Her brows bore triangular-shaped scaly ridges, their shape coloring her expression with a canny _gravitas_ befitting someone born to rule countless peoples, to lead myriads into bloody battle. Chifir’s draconic eyes had no slits, but rather small, dot-like black irises set against an otherwise barren whiteness. Her triangular-shaped pointy ears twitched whenever they picked up what little sound could be heard within the Void. 

Tied into a simple bun behind her head, the shinobi’s hair shone in metallic fluorescent blue, the latter complimented by the light-green scales on her arms, back, perhaps elsewhere. The rest of her frame was gilded by widespread thin black stripes, crowned by a pale tint of cream which started underneath the snout and likely continued further down into the front of the breastless upper body and beyond.

Her uniform, while not much to look at, suited a warrior trained in the ways of stealth and covert operations: black robes with widespread reddish stains, a flimsy-looking _dō_[3] fashioned from countless lamellar plates laced together with silk, simple dark grey trousers, with belt-fastened leggings of similar tint, an ebony-colored _tenugui_ bearing the kanji 窃[4], worn over her snout, complimented by a grayish _hachimaki_ decked with the kanji 駸[5].

(_Steely Chifir is…_). “I bid ye welcome, Hakaishin. I am Chifir, daughter of Terer, of the Most Eminent and Royal House of Ophion.”

Having said this, Chifir solemnly shut her eyes, then nodded once. No sooner had she done thus when the shackles binding the Destroyers disintegrated into shortlived particles of light, much to the prisoners' bewilderment. It took all of five seconds for Jerez to regain her presence of mind.

(_Jerez steps forward_). “So you are the leader of the fiends who attacked Universe 2...”

“Aye. I did oversee the raid ‘gainst thine universe, milady. I, however, am but one among others tasked with similar endeavours.” (_Turns to Jerez’s minder_). “Thou hast done well, Lord Mulaban.”

The alluded nodded. His eyes briefly meeting Chifir’s, the aforementioned creature made no sound while protracting and retracting his veiny dewlap, much to Jerez’s disgust. Mulaban resembled some sort of misshapen ape crossed with… with what, exactly? An eel? A praying mantis? A centipede? Just what was that green/pink thing decked with leopard spots, sharp fins at the tail, legs, arms, and head, digitigrade feet, clawed hands? Those sinewy six arms had to come from somewhere, after all, same as that sickled tail, reminiscent of an arthropod of sorts.

(_Jerez looks away_). “[_Repulsive cur. I have seen mealworms which were downright beauteous compared to you. You’ll rue the day our paths crossed. I’ll make sure of it_].”

“So you’re just one of the ringleaders? You weren’t in charge of the invasion of Universe 11?”

(_Friendly Kangra is…_). “Indeed, Lord Vermoud. Lady Chifir once ruled over the Seventeenth Universe as Shihaishin, or Governing Deity.”

Chifir scowled under her veil. The shift Kangra sensed in the dragon woman’s ki told her she’d just made a faux pas. The pangolin warrior motioned to speak. The Shihaishin subtly gestured at her to keep silent, afterward turned to Vermoud’s minder.

“Thou hast served well, Lord Ganlu. I trust this deity did not prove difficult to apprehend.”

“Aye, milady. His braggart tongue avail’d him naught. In fray he prov’d exceeding bootless. Verily the warrior grey outstrips this feckless failure of a godhead[6].”

(_Vermoud rolls his eyes_). “Yeah, I’m gonna pretend I understood half of that…”

“Which half didst thou not comprehend, Bartimeus Dolorus?”

“Excuse me?”

“Is that not thy name?”

“Not even close.”

“Batrachius Dorotheos?” (_Vermoud shakes his head_). “Belerophon Doloplexus?” (_Same as before_). “Bergamot Delphinus?”

“How do you even come up with this stuff!?” 

(_Unamused Chifir is…_). “That will be all, Lord Ganlu.”

Vermoud scowled. Ganlu easily stood over six feet tall. His stalwart frame exuded bloodlust through every pore. That much was obvious. The Hakaishin recalled the havoc that amalgam of insect, wild mutt, and _fu _dog wreaked in his palace back at Universe 11. The Destroyer from the Universe of Justice could still hear the shuffle of Ganlu’s digitigrade feet as he sprinted to and fro, effortlessly dodging the clown’s attacks whenever he didn’t feel like taking them head on.

“[_All my best moves, my strongest techniques... didn’t even slow him down! No way I’m **that** out of shape! I doubt Riccadonna, let alone Beerus, could’ve taken this asshole on! ‘The warrior gray’… could it be? Merciful gods…_].”

Chifir turned to Mule’s minders, a pair of Gorgon-like women.

“I expected no less from thee, Lady Sencha.”

“Indeed, Lady Chifir. I had to see Lord Mule’s travails for mineself. It pleases me to say they exceeded expectations[7].”

“Art thou and thy sibling in accord, Lady Kocha?”

“RESULTS INCONCLUSIVE. FURTHER RESEARCH REQUIRED[8].”

An apprehensive Mule side-glanced at Sencha. The Gorugonian stood some seven feet tall. Her semi-humanoid, semi-serpentine countenance had a lipless mouth formed much like that of a reptile. Instead of eyebrows, this creature possessed bony ridges to the right and left of her forehead, sported short, thin tendrils of flesh at the top of her head, which, like antennae, seemed very much alive to what few sounds recurred in the Void. The eyes bore vertical, slitted black pupils, not unlike those of a caiman. The right one was of a light apricot hue, the left periwinkle, both of which complimented the cerulean serpentine scales populating her flesh. 

Sencha’s outfit consisted of long, flowing grayish robes, kept meticulously clean, wear and tear notwithstanding. The sleeves were cut in a strange way, which seemed to both hinder and allow a wide-ranging gamut of movements, particularly offensive and defensive maneuvers (with a sword?). 

Mule ventured a lightning-fast stare at Sencha, looked away before her eyes met his. One false move, and he and the others would end up frozen in stone for eternity, like it happened to—

(_Kangra steps forward_). “Our time is short, Lady Chifir. I would advise proceeding to the Judgement Phase. There is still much travail remaining, particularly on regards to Project Fell Star, and—”

(_Chifir scowls underneath her veil_). “I am well aware of our straits, milady.” (_To Sencha, telepathically_): “[_Didst thou procure the requir’d samples?_].”

Sencha: “[_I entrusted them to our subalterns the moment I regain’d this Realm. Soon shall we know what use these shall serve_].”

Chifir: “[_Good. Thy diligence has much avail’d us_].”

Sencha (_side-glances at Kangra_): “[_Thy pardon, milady. ‘Twould be best to do away with this one. She is much too enamour’d of giving tongue to idle thoughts. Her witless palaver could well imperil this entire enterprise_].”

Chifir: “[_Lady Kangra can be tiresome, e’en vexatious. I grant that... yet we can ill dispense with her might. Trouble not thyself. Her indiscretions shan’t remain unchecked_].”

Sencha: “[_What of the Grand Numen and his circle?_].”

Chifir: “[_They know ‘tis futile to oppose the Exalted Ones. Willingly or otherwise, they shall aid our cause. Nevertheless, Makoto-kun, Nochirasu-senpai, and Kaito-shishō_[9]_ must remain in the dark a further while_].”

Sencha: “[_Of course. 'Twould be immedicable if they were to turn our correligionaries. I shall charge our spies to sharpen their vigilance_].”

Meanwhile, Mule spared an uneasy look at Kocha. Standing nearly a foot taller than Sencha, the Gorugonian held herself straight, towering well above her fellow Numenae. Dressed in a simple, form-fitting Davy gray-tinted uniform, Kocha’s flesh was concealed in its entirety. Instead of hands, she bore a pair of heavy-looking metallic gauntlets. Mule simply couldn’t conceive any way for those thick, ungainly six fingers in each hand to grasp objects without shattering them. Endowed with a rather broad build, Kocha looked well-suited for battle, as indicated by that cylindrical-shaped metallic object clasped to her belt.

“[_That thing she’s carrying, it has to be a laser-sword. I think it’s safe to assume Sencha has one as well. Could be hiding it in her sleeves, for all I know. Strange… they don't seem to carry battery packs. Did they find a way to power up the thing without one?_].” 

“FACTUAL. PRECEDENT MODELS OBSOLETED.”

The vanquished deities almost jumped in fright, much to their captors’ amusement.

“UNINTENTIONAL PROVOCATION. FEAR UNWARRANTED.”

(_Deadpan Ganlu is…_). “‘Tis a hazardous habit to peruse the thoughts of lesser beings.”

(_Incensed Vermoud is…_). “Hey, who’re you calling “lesser,” dog shit!?” (_Calms down a bit_). “Actually, I have a question for you ladies. Ganlu here mentioned something about a 'warrior grey,' even let it slip said warrior surpassed me in every way.”

“He doth indeed.”

(_A royally pissed Vermoud approaches Ganlu_). “I wasn’t talking to _you_, freak!”

Mulaban blocked Vermoud’s path. His dewlap vehemently breathing in and out, the smaller creature unsheathed a pair of blades on all six wrists, struck a fighting pose. 

“No further. Threaten not mine brother[10].”

“Your brother!?”

“Trouble not thyself, frère. This baseborn knave vainly bloweth himself up. His feckless militancy shan't avail him aught.”

“Do you come with subtitles!?”

A rather confused Ganlu turned to a no less puzzled Mulaban. Staring back at the larger Numen, the smaller one retracted his blades, then allowed himself an indifferent shrug before turning his eyes to Jerez.

(_Disgusted Jerez is…_). “Stop staring at me, foul creature! My arrows will find your heart. That I promise you.”

_(Ganlu’s ears twitch_). “A pox for thy tongue, thou kickshaw! I’ll not suffer contumely ‘gainst mine brother! ‘Tis folly to so collogue when thine enemies compass thee and thy compeers rant and billow like a lame camelopard who fancies himself a buck, though he maketh for a poor husband!”

(_Chifir turns to the other Numina_). “Restraint, Lord Ganlu. Thou and Lord Mulaban have done well. I would have ye and Lady Kangra resume training our recruits.” (_To Kocha and Sencha_). “Do as I charg’d ye.”

The five deities bowed and quit the chamber. Mulaban spared one last look at Jerez, who scoffed and turned aside. His expression oscillating between wounded and confused, the green Numen made himself scarce. The Hakaishin of Universe 2 faced the dragon goddess.

“You have a lot to answer for, Chifir. What have you done to my warriors?”

“Why concern thyself for such? Did the Tournament learn thee nothing, Solera al-Shedeh?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Save thy breath. Threats shan’t avail thee herein.”

Vermoud thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He couldn’t come up with any other explanation as to why Jerez seemed to… flinch? The Destroyer from the Universe of Justice took a chance.

“You people are behind the disappearance of Jiren the Grey and several other warriors from Universe 11. Don’t deny it.”

“I deny nothing, Belsazar Dolin. Thou shalt meet thy champions in due time. However, dost thou believe they will be glad to see thee? Thou utterly and completely fail’d them, after all.”

(_Vermoud scowls_). “That’s none of your stinking business, lady.”

(_Unamused Chifir is…_). “I would guard mine tongue, sirrah. Thou speakest to a Numen of Deletion. Our power and rank exceed your own, just as they exceed that of the All-Sovereign and his ilk.”

(_Skeptical Mule is…_). “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence[11].”

“Thou hast thine evidence. Do what thou wilt.”

(_Stern Mule is…_). “Like Sencha did with Paparoni, Narinama, Za Priccio, and Nigrissi?”

“Thine inventions and subaltern dwell herein as well, Zevion Poliakovich Sorokov. In troth, I cannot apprehend why thou dost fret and fear so for their welfare. They failed thee, as thou failed them.”

“T-They didn’t fail me! I-I didn’t… what are you trying to accomplish, anyway?”

“Nothing thou canst comprehend. I and mine answer to higher powers, greater e’en than thine Omni-King and Daishinkan.”

(_Vermoud scowls_). “Do you take us for fools? There’s no power greater than Grand Zen-Oh. Every deity worth their salt knows that.” (_Grins cheekily_). “Oh, my bad. Forgot to whom I was speaking.”

“Thy japes win thee no friends, ピエロさん (_piero-san_[12]).” (_Chifir backs away a bit_). “Ye are far remov’d from your demesnes. The King of All and Father of Angels shan't move a finger on your behalf. Nevertheless, grim as your situation is, ye may still procure allies.”

(_Irritated Jerez is…_). “You must be joking! You invade our universes, slaughter billions, take us hostage, and you still have the cheek to ask us to join you!? What sort of sick game are you playing here!?”

“‘Tis no game, milady. For uncountable eons I and mine have lingered within the Void, punished by a deluded worm who fancies himself a lion. Long have we writhed in common captivity, powerless to return to the world and state your King of All pilfered through chicanery and wickedness. Though unable to tarry in the outside world, we have been far from idle. Well have we bided our time, in preparation for an occasion such as that from two cycles back.”

(_Mule ponders briefly_). “You mean the Tournament of Power? That would explain a lot of things.”

“When that machine-human amalgam wished for the restoration of all Lost Universes, he unwittingly broke our shackles. Universes Thirteen to Eighteenth, the ones Lord Zen-Oh callously purged, were as a vineyard ripe for vintage.”

“You took advantage of all that chaos and confusion. All those beings, suddenly snatched from oblivion, returned to their lives and worlds in a heartbeat. If I had to guess, you expedited your invasion so the Lost Universes wouldn’t be able to call for help or mount any resistance.”

“Bold of thee to assume there would have been any help, or that resistance would have avail’d aught than postponing the inevitable. We are well acquainted with the ways of your Omni-King and his ilk, Lady Jerez. The froward villains would sooner suffer the All-Cosmos to perish if forfending its doom demanded an iota of exertion. Ye know this to be true.”

The trio of deities faced each other, as if unsure of their next step. Vermoud stepped forward.

“What does any of this have to do with _us_?”

“The three of you have been chosen to aid our cause.”

(_Livid Mule is…_). “What makes you think we’re gonna cooperate?”

“I said nothing of cooperation.”

(_Jerez glowers_). “Bold of you to assume you can coerce us.”

“Bold of thee to doubt mine capabilities.” (_Sighs_). “Natheless, I am not without honour. I shall allow ye one chance to topple our design.”

(_Skeptic Vermoud is…_). “We’re gonna fight, aren’t we?”

“Lady Sencha and Lady Kocha will soon return. I shall further explain when they arrive.”

A good minute and a half afterward, the serpent women let themselves into the courtyard. Mulaban was nowhere to be seen, much to Jerez’s relief. The same applied to Ganlu, so Vermoud breathed a little easier. Kangra was absent as well. 

Mule, on the other hand, was at a loss. The imp deity cautiously glanced at the sisters. There was so much he could learn from them, yet they would sooner burn the Multiverse down to a cinder than exchange inventions. 

Kocha’s stare coincided with the Chertenokian’s. The taller Numena appeared not to acknowledge the presence of the Hakaishin, just as she paid little heed to Jerez’s side-glance.

“[_Kocha… a monster made flesh, if I ever saw one. Looking at her and Mulaban is enough to curdle my blood, like that ice demon, Frieza. Kocha easily dwarfs him, the King of All, the Grand Priest, to say nothing of Sour, Domecq, and Mother. Strange… I feel discomfited around her, yet I sense no ill intent. Sencha, on the other hand… why does she make me so… uneasy?_].”

(_Matter-of-factly Sencha is…_). “[_The tests are well underway, Lady Chifir. Thou mayest proceed_].”

As if on cue, an armed group of beings from various races and species entered the courtyard. Sencha and Kocha bowed and saw themselves out.

Judging by their uniforms, Mule inferred the newcomers were scientists or technicians of some sort. The group began lowering something heavy under the watchful eye of their leader, a muscle-gutted frog, whale, and crocodile anthropomorphic hybrid, clad in a wide-fitting rosy brown uniform. Her flesh riddled with ever-busy varicose veins and arteries, the amalgamation moved all over the place, helping out and/or barking orders whenever needed.

“Careful with that thing! Whoever damages it answers to me _and_ Lady Chifir!”

“Agent Camphor…”

(_Camphor salutes_). “Hail, Lady Chifir.”

Chifir (_telepathically_): “[_At ease, Agent. Didst thou deliver the schematics?_].”

Camphor (_ditto_): “[_I did, milady. Our specialists examine them as we speak_].”

Chifir: “[_Good. Proceed with thy work_].”

Under Camphor’s supervision, the team carefully lowered a heavy metallic object. Mule nearly jumped in disbelief.

“Mosco!”

The Hakaishin from the Spiritual Universe ran to the ancient machine. Camphor motioned to push the imp back, yet Chifir signaled her to stay her hand. Mule was about to board when he stopped in front of the robot, spoke the following in a mixture of Georgian and Russian.

“{Initiate Protocol Three-One-Five, ver. 2.0}.”

The hitherto inert machinery lit up, yet otherwise remained immobile.

“{VOICE RECOGNITION FUNCTION ENABLED. NAME, RANK, CREDENTIALS, AND PASSWORD REQUIRED FOR ACCESS}.”

“[_So far, so good…_]. {I am God of Destruction Lord Mule X, of the Great and Eminent House of Ketel, born Zevion Poliakovich Sorokov, Hakaishin of the Third Universe, heir and successor of Haku XXXVIII, heir of Fugu, of the Great and Eminent House of Ketel, born Krupnik Debowanovich Sobieski. Password: სფეროების Музыка[13]}.”

“{PASSWORD ACKNOWLEDGED. ACCESS ALLOWED}.”

At that moment, a hatch door at the center opened. The Chertenokian gave a series of commands in a mixture of Georgian, Russian, and other Slavic languages. Once all pertinent diagnostics had run to his satisfaction, the Hakaishin from the Spiritual Universe boarded Mosco.

In the meantime, Jerez gathered her thoughts. Camphor. Something told her she’d seen that rotund, boisterous eyesore elsewhere, yet she couldn’t place her. The deity from the Universe of Gentleness felt for the creature’s ki, nearly gasped when she found it.

“It… it can’t be…”

A puzzled Vermoud turned to his counterpart. Jerez’s trembling eyes forestalled further questions, so her fellow god spoke telepathically.

Vermoud: “[_What’s wrong, Jerez?_].”

Jerez: “[_That Camphor creature… her energy signature is similar to the one from that mean-spirited, pig-tailed hunk of lard from Quitela’s team!_].”

Vermoud (_sweats uneasily_): “[_I sense it too. Her name’s Monna, if I remember correctly_].”

????: “[_Can you guys hear me?_].”

Vermoud: “[_We hear you, Mule_].”

Mule: “[_I think y__ou might be onto something, Solera. Camphor’s ki coincides with Monna’s sample readings on Mosco’s database_].”

Jerez: “[_Sample readings?_].”

Mule: “[_I was doing fieldwork while we watched the Tournament. Mosco and I took ki samples from all the fighters that were there. Long story short, there’s a 99.999 percent chance Jerez is right. Mosco’s picked up something else, too. Camphor’s blood type is similar to Monna’s, but…_].”

Vermoud: “[_But what?_].”

Mule: “[_It’s mutated. I’d need a physical sample to know for sure, but the initial readings say as much. Assuming they haven’t cloned her or picked up a version from an alternate timeline, I can only conclude Monna has been… gene-spliced_].”

Jerez: “[_They tampered with her genetics!?_].”

Mule: “[_That’s my working hypothesis_].”

Vermoud: “[_You don’t think… they’re gonna do the same to us?_].”

The imp furtively stared at Kocha from the safety of his monitor. He was about to look away when the stoic Gorugonian responded in kind. The Chertenokian swallowed hard.

Mule: “[_Guys… we need to get out of here_].”

Vermoud: “[_I hate to say it, but Mule’s right. We have to find a way out before—_].”

Jerez: “[_Get a hold of yourselves, both of you! Panic and trepidation won’t—_].”

(_Stern Chifir is…_). “Mark me, Solera al-Shedeh, Belsazar Dolin, Zevion Sorokov. These are the terms of our engagement. The three of you will simultaneously duel me. Should you prevail, I pledge to restore ye to your worlds. Lastly, mine godhood and power shall be your spoils. Should I prevail, however, your god ki, Energy of Destruction, your very selves are forfeit.”

“Some choice.”

“Wouldst thou submit, Lord Vermoud? Truly the All-Sovereign scraped the bottom of the barrel when he suffer’d ye to wear the mantle.”

(_Vermoud scowls_). “We have nothing to prove to you, dragon bitch. If you really wanna fight, then let’s not waste any more time.”

The draconic Numena nodded. The Hakaishin from the Second and Eleventh Universes struck a fighting pose. Instead of the usual eight-bit sound effects, Mule’s voice resounded from within Mosco.

“Security protocols disengaged. Combat directives implemented.”

(_To_ _Camphor, telepathically_). “[_Dismiss thy troops. Thou shalt bear witness to our battle_].”

The Agent nodded, did as she was told. Once the scientists and soldiers were gone, Camphor stood aside while her superior discarded her tattered cloak.

Cool and collected, Chifir dashes toward the Destroyers, barely leaves afterimages in her wake. Before the trio can react, the shinobi severs Mosco’s left arm from the elbow up with a single karate chop, knocks Vermoud all the way across the courtyard, sweep-kicks Jerez to the ground face first. 

Thinking fast, the Destroyer from the Gentle Universe breaks her fall with both hands. She uses the momentum to jump a good fifteen feet away, materializes her bow and arrow, fires one volley after another. 

Chifir is not impressed. The dragoness sprints out of reach in microseconds, shatters the sound barrier as a flustered Jerez fills the arena with thousands of Spheres of Destruction, only for her opponent to purposefully trigger a chain reaction and blow them all up in a mere instant. An unharmed Chifir flies towards Jerez, only to find herself trapped within an energy sphere. 

Jerez looks past the dragon goddess. Vermoud! Though cut and bruised all over, the clown brims with determination. Sparks flying from its severed stump, Mosco unlocks several gun barrels and missile launchers.

Vermoud makes a gesture. The Imprisonment Ball lifts Chifir from the ground. Soon as the trapped Numena is floating, Mule and the clown god fire everything they've got. The sphere is bombarded by a near-infinite joint barrage of Energy Cards, Eye Lasers, and Destructive Warheads. The Hakaishin from Universes 3 and 11 flank the dragoness.

Caution be damned! Jerez seizes an opening, shoots at least five-hundred sound-shattering arrows and assorted projectiles at the sphere, which soon disappears from view, enveloped by thick black smoke.

After a seeming eternity, the Gods of Destruction cease fire. There is stillness throughout the courtyard, which appears largely unaltered, save for pervasive smoke and debris. Jerez, Vermoud, and Mule glance at each other. They've won...

All of a sudden, the smoke swiftly dispels as a loud explosion of energy rocks the stage. Chifir! She's still alive, with nary a scratch! 

The Numena shatters the Imprisonment Ball with a sprinting sonic boom. Before her opponents can even blink, the shinobi effortlessly crashes through Mosco’s abdomen. The resulting impact shatters the robot to smithereens, leaves only one fourth of the head intact. 

(_Alarmed Jerez is..._). "MULE!"

Subsequent screams, landing blows, and related sounds let Vermoud and Jerez know Mule is still alive… for now. The clown deity sweats ice. It doesn't take Marcarita to realize the imp is struggling for his life. 

Clown and Amazon zoom to the area, become lost in a hurricane of kicks and punches. Vermoud side-glances at Mule. His horns reduced to bloody stumps, the battered Chertenokian can barely hold his own by the time his counterparts back him up. 

Aches and injuries notwithstanding, the Destroyer from the Spiritual Universe notices something amiss. It’s three against one, yet Chifir’s still in control! Rather than concerned, the Numena appears bored. Her heart’s clearly not in this fight.

Mule (_telepathically_): "[_Guys, we have to wrap this up **now**! She's too strong!"_

Vermoud (_see above_): "[_We're doing the best we can, Zevion!_]."

Jerez (_ditto_): "[_He speaks truth, Belsazar! Our next move **has** to kill Chifir, or we're doomed!_]."

Vermoud: "[_You two realize what this means!?_]."

Mule: "[_We have no choice! It's them or us!_]."

The Hakaishin triad shares a split-second look. It's now or never!

Jerez/Vermoud/Mule: “GOD OF DESTRUCTION’S FINAL ATTACK! HAKAISHIN GALAXY FALL!”

Numena Chifir is soon engulfed by a billion myriads of medium-sized falling orbs forged from Destruction Energy. Barely bigger than U7 Earth’s Moon, each of them contains the white-hot heat of a quintillion suns condensed into countless supernovas. 

Jerez has a quick look around. Camphor stands at the sidelines, utterly enthralled by the fight. The goddess yells at her to fly away. The Agent stays put as the Energy of Destruction devours her… or so it seems. 

Camphor grins maliciously. The destructive ki doesn’t harm her at all! 

The three Destroyer Gods are still in awe by the time Chifir emerges from within the conflagration. Like the Agent, the shinobi seems annoyed rather than injured. Glowering at her opponents, the dragoness swiftly joins her hands, raises and presses together each middle and index finger whilst interlocking all others. 

“**臨**(Rin!).”

A booming thunderclap pervades the courtyard. In a mere heartbeat, the Shihaishin seizes control of the Energy of Destruction.

(_Stunned Jerez is…_). “Impossible! What sort of power is this!?”

(_Astonished Vermoud is…_). “What the hell is she doing!?”

(_Horrified Mule is…_). “The energy… she… she’s transmuting it!”

The divine ki shifts from purple to crimson before the Chertenokian finishes his sentence. Chifir makes another gesture at that precise instant. Her hands joined together, she interlocks both pinkies and ring fingers inside, raises and presses each thumb and index finger. The latter cross over the middle ones, their curled tips touch those of the thumbs as the nails of the middle fingers do the same.

“兵 (Pyō!).”

Soon after the goddess speaks, her opponents find themselves paralyzed within a searing scarlet energy field, barely able to blink as the deity’s hands keep on making gestures faster than the eye can see. Meanwhile, the shinobi starts to chant the following mantra.

(_Translated from Sanskrit_). “{Vacuum, nil, emptiness, vacuum, nil, emptiness, vacuum, nil, emptiness, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil, nil… शून्यता/Śūnyatā![14]”

Vermoud, Mule, and Jerez’s screams drowned out the eons-old silence. In a mere instant, an unknown force siphoned all their god ki and Destruction Energy to Chifir. 

Solera al-Shedeh watched as her once lustrous skin started to crack, turned leathery to the touch while all fat and muscle deserted her. The spark in her eyes was nearly extinguished by the time she fainted, her hair having shifted from shimmering black to ashen gray.

Belsazar Dolin lost all notion of time and space. What little sinew he had forsook him. The red hair endemic in his species turned into an opaque parody of itself. His vision grew blurry, then darkened altogether, the world before him lost to oblivion.

Zevion Sorokov felt as if his organs, flesh, blood, every bone in his body were liquefying. His gut drained taut, the Chertenokian made to count his now visible ribs, but soon got lost within his own mind. His brain futilely signaled everywhere and nowhere as he faded into unconsciousness.

Having combined the pilfered ki with the red-colored energy, Chifir bade both depart to parts unknown. The Numena barely repressed an urge to spit at the sight of her vanquished opponents.

“An utter disappointment. Still, the Exalted Ones shall be pleased.” (_Turns to Camphor_). “Take them to the Forbidden Library.”

“Are they mortal now, milady?”

“Aye. E’en if that were not the case, I doubt they would prove a match for thee. Make haste, Agent. Lord Masala awaits, and thou hast other duties to attend. Make sure thou dost not injure the candidates. Use thine utmost caution.”

Camphor bowed. Having accommodated Jerez and Vermoud on her back, the Agent cradled Mule in her arms and flew away. Shaking her head, Chifir sat back down _seiza _style.

(_Translated from Japanese_). “{It must be done, lest all be lost. Thou and thine’s shall realize this sooner or later. I only pray ‘twill not be too late by then…}.”

Immersed in meditation, the dragon deity seemed to have shut herself away from the world around her. Nevertheless, the shinobi clearly sensed an all-too familiar figure looking at her from a couple of balconies above. The figure made itself scarce by the time Chifir briefly opened her eyes.

“{He who falters is already dead…}.”

* * *

[1] From the Russian чифи́рь / чифи́р. Pronounced “chee-fee-r.” Possible V.A.’s: Vanessa Marshall (Sheeva_, Mortal Kombat 11_), Mara Junot (Sindel, _Mortal Kombat 11_), Brina Palencia (Juvia Lockser, _Fairy Tail_, albeit with a deeper, early-to-mid thirties tone), Susan Eisenberg (Wonder Woman / Diana Prince, Various, yet somewhat older sounding).

[2] Pronounced “kan-grah.” Possible V.A.’s: Katheryn Kirk (Xenobia, _Lunar: Silver Star Story_), Erin Grey “DeLisle” Van Oosbree (Azula, _Avatar: The Last Airbender / The Legend of Aang_, with a more mature/adult draconic pitch), Rachel Robinson (Judith von Daphnel, _Fire Emblem: Three Houses_, deeper pitch), Kelly Hu (Ms. Li, _Batman: Under the Red Hood_, but with a somewhat deeper pitch).

[3] Breastplate / cuirass worn by samurai and foot soldiers from the Heian period onward (Source: Wikipedia).

[4] 手拭い (ten-oo-gwee) = Cotton-made Japanese hand towel, often used as masks, belts, or makeshift climbing equipment by _shinobi_ (Source: Wikipedia).

窃 (セツ / setsu / set-soo) = Stealth (Source: Wikipedia).

[5] Hachimaki (鉢巻 / hat-chee-mah-kee) = Japanese headband, usually decorated with symbols indicative of courage or effort (Source: Wikipedia).

駸 (シン / shin) = Speed (Source: Red Finch Japanese Page).

[6] Possible V.A.’s: Ike Amadi (Shao Kahn, _Mortal Kombat 11_), Joaquim de Almeida (Bane, _The Batman_), Paul St. Peter / Paul Schmidl Peter (Cornell, _Castlevania Judgment_), Jamieson Price (The Count of Monte Cristo, _Gankutsuou_).

[7] Possible V.A.’s: Jessica Gee-George (Cornelia Arnim, _Fire Emblem: Three Houses_), Lorraine Toussaint (Shadow Weaver / Light Spinner, _She-Ra and the Princesses of Power_, albeit with a slightly slower speaking pace and a somewhat deeper pitch), Donna Rawlins (Constance d’Albaret, _Castlevania: The Lecarde Chronicles 2_, minus the demonic reverb).

[8] Possible V.A.’s: Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Medusa, _Castlevania: Lament of Innocence_, albeit with a deeper tone and a mechanical reverb, similar to James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader), Jennifer Hale (Kronika, _Mortal Kombat 11_, albeit with a deeper, emotionless pitch), Whitney “RaeLynn Jay” Jones (Jeanne de Servigny, _Castlevania: The Lecarde Chronicles 2_, with more of a shady scientist vibe).

[9] Pronounced “shee-shoh.” From the Japanese 師匠 = Master (Source: Google Translate, RomajiDesu).

[10] Possible V.A.’s: Unknown Male Voice Actor (Black, _Twisted Metal: Black_), Fred Tatasciore (“Blue Fangs,” _Castlevania_, Netflix), James “Jim” J. Cummings (Amal, Disney’s _Aladdin_, 1994-5), Kevin Michael Richardson (Various).

[11] Carl E. Sagan, _Cosmos: A Personal Journey_ (1980).

[12] Pronounced “pee-eh-roh-sahn” = Japanese for “Mr. Clown” (Source: Google Translate).

[13] Speroebis (Georgian) muzyka (Russian) = Music of the Spheres (Source: Google Translate).

[14] “Shoon-ya-ta” = “Emptiness,” “thusness,” “openness,” “vacuity,” “voidness,” etc. (Source: Wikipedia).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sequential time doesn't exist in the Void Realm. There's no past or future, only present. That being said, readers shouldn't necessarily expect each book's VR segments to be chronologically linked to the rest of the story. Events taking place in the VR could well have occurred before, after, or during events at U7 or elsewhere in my version of the DBS Multiverse.


	4. Beneath the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quitela's training continues as his former warriors plot against him...

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two:** Quitela**

Chapter 4: Beneath the Surface

_Two days later…_

"(Psst. Quitela…).”

Riazul Sauza gradually opened his eyes. A doleful Android 21 stood in front of him. Used to the creature by now, the supine Naatsusian switched to his left, shut himself off to the world around him… for all of five seconds.

“(Psst. Quitela. You awake?).”

Grumbling to himself, the fallen Destroyer shifted to the right, put his pillow over his head, hoping 21 would get the picture. Bug Thing called a couple more times before the mouse nearly lost his temper. Once he took a deep breath, the warrior from the Universe of Conspiracy rubbed his face, donned his nearby wraparound glasses, then sat back up.

“(What do you want, 21?).”

“(Look, uh… I just wanted to say I’m sorry…).”

“(_You_, sorry? The hell for?).

“(The… the porridge thing… from a coupla days ago… I didn’t do it on purpose, honest… I didn’t know you were… uh… luctose exorbitant).”

(_Sauza blinks in utter confusion_). “(Beg your pardon?).”

“(That thing Cumin said you were…).”

(_Quitela yawns_). “(You’ll have to be more specific, bug breath).”

“(Y’know… fractal indominant?).”

“(I seriously have no idea what you’re talking about…).”

(_21 snaps his fingers_). “(I remember now! He said you were fructose deodorant!).”

“(Pretty sure that’s not a thing…).”

“(Comatose deterrent?).” (_Sauza shakes his head_). “(Cactus independent?)” (_Another headshake_). “(Footloose dromedary?)” (_Ditto. 21 ponders briefly_). (I got it! You’re sulfate indeterminant!).”

(_Riazul grumbles_). “(21… you have exactly ten seconds to get your shit together before I go back to sleep. If you wake me up again, I won’t take responsibility for what I might do to you. _Capisce_?).”

“(What’s “capisce”).” (_A scowling Sauza rolls on his side_). “(Look, I don’t know what it’s called, alright!? Cumin, he said you couldn’t drink milk and stuff!).”

(_Deadpan Sauza is…_). “(Lactose intolerant).”

“(Huh?).”

(_Riazul sits up again_). “(Lactose intolerance. That’s what it’s called. Anyway, Piccolo already cleared things up).” (_Scowls_). “(I’m still pissed at you, though).”

“(Is it because of the farting fit you had?).”

“(No).”

“(The poison ivy you touched?).”

“(Nope).”

“(The explosive diarrhea?).”

“(Still nope).”

“(Why, then?).”

“(Because sunrise is only a few hours away, and I’m wasting time talking to you when I could be sleeping).”

“(O-Oh, I-I see).” (_21 chuckles sheepishly_). “(I’ll just… leave you to it, then. Bye now!).”

The android took his leave. The miffed Naatsusian shut his eyes. Try as he might, the late Lord Quitela couldn’t go back to sleep. Having put his glasses back on, the sullen rodent stepped out of the cave. It was still dark, rather chilly outside. If the former Hakaishin’s estimations were correct (and they always were), sunrise was still a good four hours away.

The disgraced warrior took a despondent breath. It’d been three days since his undeification and exile to the Universe of Trust. Most of that time was spent in grueling martial arts training… perhaps “grueling” was too strong a word. It wasn’t easy, but it was certainly doable. If nothing else, it was a piece of cake compared to the regimen he underwent as Sazerac’s student. Hell, it was better than begging for spare change in the streets, or performing—.

“[_No! Don’t fucking go there, Sauza! That was eons ago! It’s all done and over with! All of it!_].” (_Sighs_). “[_Better hurry. Won’t be long before the green man’s up and about. The less I see and hear of Bug Thing and his oh-so-wonderful buddies, the better…_].”

Riazul approached the waterfall while pondering thus. Dark as it was, his keen sense of smell and hearing told him he was close. A whole hour and a half by himself, to meditate in peace and quiet. Truly the gods were kind<strike>… whenever they fucking felt like it</strike>.

Sauza sensed something amiss. Shutting his eyes, the mouse boy picked up a ki signature. Scratch that; two ki signatures. Riazul soon recognized the first one: Piccolo. What was he doing there? The Namekian usually rose earlier than 21 and the others, went about his meditation and training before starting the day in earnest, but he’d fly somewhere a bit farther away for that.

However, the slug man wasn’t training or meditating by the time the disgraced Destroyer tiptoed a bit closer, taking the utmost care to submerge his own energy signature. Instead, Piccolo was… bathing?

Sauza screwed up his eyes. He wasn’t dreaming, let alone drugged. Piccolo Jr., former nemesis of Son Goku, teacher and mentor of Son Gohan, Android 21, Shu Soba, and the Tien-Shin Trio, softly scrubbed himself underneath the cascading waters. The sparse moonlight made it hard to see, but it didn’t take Cognac to fill in the blanks.

Piccolo yawned. The thundering flows drowned out any sound he made. Once he gently rubbed his neck with his fingertips, the Namekian briefly looked down. Far as Sauza could tell, the green man appeared awed by the droplets of water sliding down his pectorals, doing a protracted glissando all the way to the abdomen and…

Riazul snapped back to reality just before he gave himself away with a gasp. The rodent looked down at his crotch, nearly choked at the sight of an all too familiar bulge between his legs.

“[_Gods damn it! Not again!_].”

“Is someone there?”

Sauza ran away with his tail <strike>(all two of ‘em)</strike> tucked between his legs. Fuck subtlety and finesse! He’d be as good as dead if he got caught!

Riazul wouldn’t stop. Not for all the wealth in Planet Aspen. Not for all the treasure hidden deep within Zen-Oh’s palace. Piccolo was hot on his heels. Any hesitation, any sign of weakness, and he’d catch him.

Sauza knew what that meant. Death. No more deferrals. No more hope. That would be the end of him, God of Destruction Quitela, Master Thief of the Fourth Universe, Deceiver of Dumbasses, Hierarch of the Silver-Tongued, Overtaker of Citadels, Slick-Smooth Assassin, Employer of Orphans, Aid of Widows…

_¡Mírenlo, mírenlo! ¡Por ahí anda el ratoncito joto!_

_¡Vamos a darte lo tuyo, indiecito!_

_¡Ya para con esa gritería, marica! _

_¡Estate quieto, maricón!_

_¡Cállate y no jodas más, pinche roedor!_

_¡Inútil!_

_¡Pecador!_

_¡Sucio!_

_¡Degenerado!_

_¡Igual que tu puta madre!_

_Vete a buscar migajas, ratoncito._

_Es pa’ lo único que sirves._

_Pinche rata._

_Siempre has sido una rata._

_Naciste rata, y morirás como una_ [1] _._

The former God of Destruction opened his eyes. Riazul had no idea where he was, let alone how he managed to escape _and_ keep his ki concealed. The warrior once known as Quitela was so flustered, he could’ve sworn his presence would’ve been noticed all the way back home on Universe 4. Knowing his luck, old Sazerac was probably laughing himself stupid as he chowed down on popcorn in U4’s Hell.

The mouse swallowed hard, looked down, breathed a sigh of relief. It was gone.

The fallen deity hastily gathered his thoughts. He’d forgotten all about that second signature! Sauza reached out with his senses. Its owner was still there. In fact, they were quickly approaching his position.

What to do next? Sauza’s fighting skills were slowly returning, but he was nowhere near full strength. It’d be best to not take foolhardy chances.

The young warrior needed a higher vantage point. Quitela climbed up a nearby tree. The mouse would’ve flown, but he couldn’t risk giving himself away. Semi-crouched atop a series of thick branches, the rodent girded his loins.

“[_That’s it… just a little closer…_].”

A masked figure slithers below. Riazul pounces, fells the would-be assailant in one hit… or so he thinks. Instead of falling, the intruder uses the momentum to do a leaping front handspring. Long before they regain their footing, the attacker produces a shimmering combat knife, slashes at Sauza’s throat, misses by mere inches when the rodent jumps out of reach.

The intruder keeps at it. The fallen god is somewhere in-between impressed and alarmed. One slip-up, and the great Quitela will be deader than dead.

“[_Sun Cutter! __This isn’t good! Gotta get rid of that damn knife! Wait for it… NOW!_].”

Sauza grabs his lunging opponent’s arm, yanks them to the ground. Dropping the blade, the attacker falls with a dull thud. Once he’s made sure the assailant can’t recover the weapon, Riazul grabs them by the shirt, makes to rip out the mask from their face, only for the intruder to kick him away.

Sauza drilled his stare into the attacker. Though briefly taken aback, the latter soon regained his composure. Riazul’s keen sense of smell picked up a faint scent of blood. This fellow wasn’t gravely injured, yet his wounds were still serious enough to hinder his fighting. Despite the pervasive darkness, the fallen god noticed that the tall, lanky figure stood with a slight hunch. There was also something weird about his ki…

Before Quitela knew it, the assailant motioned the blade to come to his right hand. Riazul, however, had no time to digest the event, as the intruder immediately cast a small, round object at him. The rodent barely dodged. His immediate surroundings were soon shrouded in thick bluish smoke. Try as he might, the coughing ex-Destroyer couldn’t pick up the attacker’s energy, let alone tap into his own.

“[_The smoke… gotta escape…_].”

Acting on instinct by now, Riazul ran away from the area as fast as his legs could carry him. Two or three minutes of fresh air later, the panting Sauza breathed a sigh of relief. His ki manipulation abilities were slowly returning, just in time to detect a familiar signature. 

“Piccolo…”

“Quitela…”

The Naatsusian instinctively shrank back. Clad in his full outfit, Piccolo Jr. crossed his arms against his chest. However, rather than angry, the Namekian seemed… concerned?

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah… I’m ok.”

“I picked up a strange energy signature lurking close to the campsite. Know anything about it?”

“Some jerk in a mask tried to kill me. He ran away before you got here.”

Just then, a rustling of leaves disturbed the songs of crickets, the screeching of owls, and other such sounds. Teacher and disciple each assumed a fighting stance, only to ease themselves in less than two seconds.

(_Piccolo takes a deep breath_). “Come out, Fennel. We know you’re there.”

The axolotl grimly obeyed. Sauza shuddered at the sight of the Tien-Shin pupil. Fennel’s black eyes glimmered like white-hot embers amidst the nightly pallor. While the lad wasn’t particularly agitated, he was also far from calm. 

Riazul sweated ice. Fennel reeked of the same bloody scent he’d detected on the attacker. The former Hakaishin thanked his lucky stars for the darkness. He was in no hurry to find out what that diminutive demon looked like after (nearly) taking a life. Without further ado, the Tien-Shin pupil signaled while Piccolo translated.

“<I sensed an unknown energy, so I set out to investigate. I came across an intruder and fought with him>.”

(_Furious Piccolo is…_). “You did what!? Why didn’t you tell me or the others!?”

“<The figure was approaching fast, Master. Waking up Lozada and Jintan and briefing them would’ve wasted precious time. Tired as they are, they’d be of little help. Furthermore, Android 21, Shu, Quitela, and yourself were much farther away. Had I gone to warn you rather than confront the intruder, I would’ve left Jintan and Lozada unprotected>.”

“I see. It was still reckless of you to do that, Fennel.”

“<I wasn’t about to perish at the hands of some nobody. All things said, the wretch was quite skilled to slip from my grasp the way he did. He cast a strange device at me, little bigger than a baseball. It exploded into this weird fog which temporarily removed my ability to manipulate and detect ki. Surely Quitela can tell you about it himself…>.”

(_Confused Sauza is…_). “Huh? What makes you think that?”

“<Your energy’s faltering like mine was>.” (_Points at his maw_). “<Furthermore, the detector built into my implant has been scanning you. It’s picking up traces of the same chemical agent that bastard used against me>.”

“Fennel? Master Piccolo? Where are you?”

Anise and Cumin made the scene. Though worried, they were otherwise alright.

“Any sign of the intruder?”

(_Anise shakes her head_). “No, Piccolo. Cumin and I woke up when we heard some kinda explosion. Fennel was already gone when I came to check up on him. 21 and Shu are combing the waterfall and the areas near the cave.”

“You shouldn’t have run off like that, Fenn! You could’ve been hurt, or worse!”

“<Your concern is noted, Jintan>.”

“H-Hey!”

(_Anise crosses her arms against her chest_). “Cumin’s right, Fennel. We’re a team. You can’t make a habit out of this. You managed to escape tonight. Next time you might not be so lucky.”

Fennel glowered. Arms crossed against the chest, the axolotl looked his fellow students in the eye.

“<Luck had nothing to do with it. Allow me to remind you two that I’ve survived far more dire situations. Tonight was child's play compared to such ordeals>.”

“Fenn, that was then. This is now. You don’t have to—.”

“<Save the reprimands for later, Lozada. I haven’t finished my report>.” (_Turns to Piccolo_). “<I inflicted a series of wounds on the intruder, severe enough to draw blood. However, his ki signature didn’t weaken in the slightest. Instead, the energy in his body constantly ebbed and flowed in such a way, it seemed to me that the attacker was... healing himself somehow>.”

“Healing himself?”

(_Quitela puts on his thinking cap_). “I picked up a whiff of blood while we were fighting. Guy seemed hurt, but he held his own pretty well. Frog boy here might be onto something.”

“<I’m not a frog, you cur!>.”

(_Quitela shrugs_). “Could’ve fooled me…”

“<Why, you—!>.”

“That’s enough, you two.” (_Piccolo turns to Fennel_). “I appreciate you looking out for us, Fennel, but Anise is right. That sort of call isn’t yours to make. Go wash up in the lake, then back to sleep. We’ll talk in the morning.” (_To Anise and Cumin_). “Same goes for the two of you.”

The Tien-Shin Trio bowed and returned to the campsite. Piccolo and Sauza followed suit without a word.

Son Goku’s former enemy subtly glanced at Riazul’s direction every now and then. For his part, Sauza looked up at Piccolo whenever he had the chance.

“[_Piccolo… does he know about the waterfall? No way he doesn’t. Damn slug’s a lot of things, but stupid isn’t one of them…_].”

Piccolo stopped. An apprehensive Riazul followed suit.

“Quitela…”

“Yeah?”

“About your cold… you sure you’re all better?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. Why're you asking?”

Without another word, the Namekian pointed at the rodent, shot a blinding blast of magic at him. Caught unawares, Sauza brazed himself… yet the pain never came. Instead, the fallen god’s upper body felt… heavy. The mouse collapsed on his knees as the light finally died out.

The dethroned Destroyer’s eyes were adapting to the darkness by the time Piccolo offered him a hand. Once he got back up, Riazul looked at himself. He was wearing a size-adjusted replica of the slug man’s cape and turban, virtually identical to the original in all details, including…

“W-What the…!?”

Sauza tried to walk, only to lose his balance yet again. The Namekian helped him up one more time.

“You’ll be wearing those until further notice. I suggest you take it easy for now. Learning to move with all that extra weight will take some getting used to.”

“What the hell, green man!? You seriously expect me to fight like this!?” (_Piccolo keeps quiet_). “Terrific. Just fucking terrific.”

“I’m not doing this to punish you, Quitela. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to check up on 21 and Shu.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna kill me some breakfast. Be back in five.”

Teacher and pupil went their separate ways, unaware of a floating mechanical contraption hovering some distance away…

_Inside a cabin, elsewhere in the forest…_

Knelt beside a coal-powered stove, Caway stirred a pot of stew as Nink entered commands on a keyboard and watched a strange monitor of sorts.

“Do you see them?”

“I see them. Subject Q just left Piccolo Jr’s side.” (_Nink snorts_). “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted that hocus-pocus ninja.”

“Shinobi Mage. He was recommended by the boss herself. It would’ve been unwise to dispense with his services.”

(_Nink scowls_). “He was supposed to capture Subject Q, and he failed. The longer we wait, the more difficult it’ll be.”

“I know, but—.”

Static and white noise filled the monitor. The fuming Nink barely stopped himself from wrecking the monitor and keyboard.

“Gods-damned Third Universe piece of crap! Didn’t you say Shantsa fixed it!?”

“That’s a complex piece of machinery, Nink. Shantsa did his best, all things considered. We’re lucky to have him, after we lost…” (_Frowns_).

“Caway… I-I…” (_Nink crouches to Caway’s height_). “I miss them too. We all do. We’ll find them. I promise.” (_Sighs, turns to the monitor_). “This’ll take a while to fix. If only Ganos were here. He would’ve figured this out by now.” (_Nink grumbles_). “I hate it. All this waiting, not knowing what’s going to happen…”

“I don’t like it either, but we have to play it safe. Surely you remember how Universe 7’s warriors trounced us at the Tournament.”

“I don’t need a reminder.” (_Grunts, sighs_). “The others are taking too long. I’m starting to get worried.”

“It can’t be helped. I know it’s difficult to move around the forest on foot, but we have to keep our ki concealed. We mustn’t give away our presence to Lord Beerus’s warriors. All our struggles will have been for nothing if we get caught.”

“I still don’t understand why the Omni-King won’t let us ambush the rat and be done with it. Q’s mortal now, right? We can beat him if we work together.”

“We have our orders, Nink. Like it or not, we have to play by Lord Zen-Oh’s rules if we want to see this enterprise through. You know that.”

Majora and Shantsa made the scene, followed by Damon, Shosa, and the masked assailant. Nink grunted out loud as a displeased Caway rose.

“You have a lot of nerve coming back here, Enapay. I believe an explanation is in order.”

(_Deep, raspy tone_). “Something… unexpected happened.”

(_Displeased Shosa is…_). “If by “unexpected” you mean “I got thrashed by a child…”

(_Miffed Enapay is…_). “It wasn’t _my_ fault! Damn frog boy took me by surprise!”

(_Majora shrugs_). “Excuses, excuses… seems the boss was wrong about you. First time for everything, I suppose.”

(_Stern Caway is…_). “That’s quite enough, Majora.” (_Turns to Enapay_). “As for you…”

“H-Hey, take it easy, sweetheart. I—”

“Sweetheart!? I am the Crown Princess of Aspen, not some two-bit strumpet! Mind how you speak to me, you uncouth—!”

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy, Your Highness! I have some intel you’ll definitely be interested in.”

(_Bemused Nink is…_). “Intel? You guys know anything about this, Majora?”

(_Majora shakes his head_). “I’m just finding out myself.”

(_Shosa steps forward_). "Ditto. By the way, Gamisaras is still scouting the campsite.”

(_Nink sighs_). “Might as well tell him to come back.”

Caway nodded. The orc turned to a wristwatch-like device strapped around his left wrist. Nink spoke into it once he pressed the required buttons.

(_Sotto-voce_). “(Thunderbird to Kachina. Come in, Kachina. Over).” 

“(Kachina here. Something wrong, Thunderbird? Over).”

“(Come back to the base. Will explain later. Remember to keep your energy concealed. Over).”

“(Will do. 10-4. Over and out).”

Arms crossed against his chest, a bemused Shantsa turned to Enapay.

“About that intel you spoke about…”

“You guys know about my powers, right? I sensed mouse boy’s energy while we were fighting. I know you probably aren’t gonna believe me, but your quarry’s not your run-of-the-mill rat.”

(_Unimpressed Shosa is…_). “Yeah, we kinda figured that out already, pal.”

“Wasn’t talking about his fighting abilities, smartass.” (_Sighs_). “How can I explain it? Kid’s got some… some kinda hidden power. Don’t have a clue what it is, but it’s there. I can feel it.”

(_Puzzled Caway is…_). “What are you getting at?”

“We may have our work cut out for us, Your Majesty. Give me a coupla days. I’ll sneak into the campsite and—.”

“Hold on just a moment, Enapay. My friends and I have something to discuss. Shosa, Majora, if you would be so kind…”

Having gestured at the assailant to follow him, the wolf and fox escorted Enapay outside, shut the door behind them. Caway signaled Nink and Shantsa to approach as soon as she was certain they wouldn’t be seen or heard.

(_Bemused Nink is…_). “‘Hidden power’… wonder what he meant by that.”

(_Shantsa frowns_). “What’re we gonna do now?”

(_Caway scowls_). “We can’t risk sending Enapay again. Knowing Subject Q, he will be wary bordering on paranoid for weeks, perhaps longer. Piccolo Jr. and his associates will be just as vigilant.”

(_Pensive Nink is…_). “What do you have in mind, Caway?”

(_Caway grins maliciously_). “Boys… I believe a change of tactics is in order…”

_Piccolo’s Campground, 8:35 AM…_

Riazul punched, kicked, parried, etc., under the guidance of Son Gohan. Though both were clad in duplicates of Piccolo’s outfit, Sauza was having a difficult time. A good ten minutes later, the half-Saiyan signaled the Naatsusian to stop. Both warriors sat down underneath a shady tree, drank water from a pair of bottles.

“You’re getting better, Quitela. I can’t believe how much you’ve improved in just a couple of days. You’re really something else, you know.”

(_Riazul sighs_). “[_Laying it on a little thick, aren’t we?_]. Spare the brown-nosing, Go-cart. This is nowhere near what I’m capable of… […_what I **was** capable of…_].”

“[_Prickly as ever, I see…_]. It’s _Gohan_. I meant what I said. Heck, I think I might be jealous of you.”

“[_Cry me a river…_]. Jealous of what? You’re half-human, half-Saiyan. What’s more, you’re Goku’s son. Pretty sure you could surpass me without breaking a sweat. (_Kekeke!_). Hell, you, Vegeta, your old man, you guys could surpass Beerus if you train hard enough. Way things’re goin’, I probably will, too." (_Scowls_). "That waste of space wouldn’t know hardship if it spat him in the face.”

(_Gohan sweats nervously_). “[_Yeah, about that…_]. It’s not that simple, Quitela. Y’see, I neglected my training for a while after I started working. I’ve had even more trouble making time for it since Pan was born.”

The eldest child of Son Goku kept quiet, took a furtive side-glance to his left. The former Lord Quitela seemed to have grown a couple of inches taller. Most notably, his fur color was gradually shifting from yellowish ochre to a lightly darkened shade of bistre brown mingled with a minty sort of light green, with incipient tufts of black hair at the armpits and either side of the face, perhaps elsewhere. Gohan couldn’t repress a chuckle.

“[_Vapid and brainless… just like his daddy_]. What’s so funny?”

“[_Better switch topics…_]. I used to come to these woods back in the day, after the Cell Games, after Dad died… again. Me and Nappa, we’d sneak out of my parents’ house in the middle of the night, meet up with Piccolo and 21. We’d train for hours at an end. Kami knows how I didn’t end up sleeping through most of high school, seeing how tired I was all the time. Good thing we kept Mom fooled. She would’ve gone ballistic if she’d found out.”

“[_Mamma’s boy much, kid?_]. Funny you should mention Piccolo. What’s your relationship with him?”

“[_Oh, so **now** you’re concerned all of a sudden, you sleazy little…_]. Why do you ask?”

“[_‘Coz unlike you, I like to use **both** sides of my brain…_]. I watched how the two of you fought during the Tournament. You guys were in perfect sync, like you’d been doing that for years. That kind of connection doesn’t just pop out of nowhere.”

“[_He’s observant. I’ll give ‘im that much_]. You sorta answered your own question there, Quitela. I’ve known Piccolo since I was a child.” (_Gohan turns pensive_). “Funny thing is, like him and Dad, we didn’t exactly start out as friends. I know what I’m about to say is probably gonna sound crazy, but bear with me. You know about Raditz, right?”

“[_Boy, you suck at deflection…_]. He’s Goku’s brother. That’s about it.”

“[_You bluff poorly, Sauza…_]. Raditz kidnapped me when I was a kid. Piccolo and Dad fought him. Raditz was too strong for them, so Dad tried to hold him down long enough for Piccolo to hit him with the Special Beam Cannon…”

“[_Special What-Now?_]. Special What-Now?”

“[_Come to think of it, what’s so “special” about it, anyways?_]. You’ve seen it. It’s one of Piccolo’s best techniques.”

“[_Yeah, that really narrows it down…_]. Is it the one where he gathers ki on his fingertips and shoots an energy beam?” (_Gohan nods_). “Bug Boy calls it the “Light of Death.” (_Kekeke!_). Gotta admit, I like that name a lot better. Don’t tell him I said that, though.”

“[_That’s 21 for you. Never a dull moment when he’s around…_]. So anyway, Piccolo shot at Raditz, but he leaped away at the last minute.” (_Gohan frowns_). “Dad wasn’t so lucky. After Dad’s first death, Piccolo, he… he kinda kidnapped me, tossed me into the wilderness to survive on my own. Toughen me up and all that. He did give me a sword, to be fair…”

“[_Wow… didn’t think the slug man had it in him…_]. Really? How old were you?”

“[_Too damn young…_]. Four, I think. Long story short, me, Piccolo, and Raditz ended up training together, preparing for when Vegeta and Nappa would reach Earth. Raditz and Piccolo… they sacrificed themselves… to save me. Piccolo… he did it again… when Frieza invaded… before the Tournament… I’m sorry.”

Gohan leapt to his feet, walked some distance away. It didn’t take long for Riazul to follow him.

“[_That face he’s making… like the kids at the mission_]. Gohan…”

(_Gohan wipes his tears away_). “[_Damn it, why’d he have to see me like this!?_]. I’m ok. Sorry about that, Quitela.” (_Sighs_). “You’d think it’d be easier to talk about these things. It’s been ages since it happened… the worst of it, anyway. We should probably get back to training...”

Sauza nodded. An hour and a half afterward, Piccolo and the Tien-Shin Trio returned to the grounds. As the Trio stretched and steeled themselves for the ordeals ahead, the Namekian handed Riazul and Gohan a Senzu Bean each.

“Cumin, Quitela.” (_The alluded turn to Piccolo_). “Take your places. You two are going to spar.”

(_Cumin swallows hard_). “O-Ok… whatever you say, Master.”

(_Sauza rolls his eyes, assumes mocking tone_). “‘Whatever you say, Master…’”

(_Piccolo is not happy at all_). “Quitela…”

“[_Damn twerp. And I thought Shantsa was spineless…_]. You sure about this, green man? You expect me to go easy on chicken butt here?”

“H-Hey!”

“I expect you to take this seriously. Same goes for you, Cumin.”

“O-O-Ok… I-I’ll...”

(_Anise raises her hand_). “Master Piccolo? Could you give me and Cume a coupla minutes? This won’t take long.”

Piccolo nodded. Anise took the fowl lad aside, instructed him to speak so as not to be heard.

“(A-Anise… d-d-do I-I r-really h-have to…?).”

“(Cume, it’s ok. You’ve been training for months. You got this).”

“(B-But i-i-i-it’s Q-Quitela… he used to be a Destroyer… I hate this… I hate fighting).” (_Cumin frowns_). “(I’m such a coward. I wish I were like you and Fennel).”

“(Hey, me and Fennel, we get scared too, you know. Trust me, you’re gonna do great. Remember what Master Tien says…).”

“(‘Don’t fight to overcome others. Fight to overcome yourself’).” (_Smiles_). “(Thanks, Anise).”

“We’ll be rooting for you.”

The rooster and the rodent took their places. Sauza struck a fighting stance. Having taking a deep breath, Cumin placed both hands in front of his face, almost as if he could see them. The rest of his body followed suit. The gears in Riazul’s mind got moving.

“[_That stance… reminds me of Muay Thai, maybe some form of Pencak Silat… likely with some Savate thrown in?_].”

“Ready… begin!”

Sauza flies at Cumin, high kicks at the bird’s neck. Jintan dodges in a split second, retaliates by swiping at the rodent’s chest. Riazul evades a little too late, but the fowl boy’s claws fail to find the rat’s flesh, as they scratch at the armor in Sauza’s cape.

The fallen Hakaishin sweep kicks at Cumin’s legs. The rooster doesn’t fall, but the attack leaves him off-balance long enough for Quitela to land a couple of punches on bird boy’s face. Sauza goes for a third. Jintan parries, breaks Sauza’s flow, jump-kicks straight at the mouse’s stomach, knocks him some ten yards away, only for the rat to seize the momentum and jump further still.

Playtime’s over! The index and middle fingers of Riazul’s hands touch his forehead. Ki soon crackles in both sets of fingertips.

(_Amazed Piccolo is…_). “[_What does that rat think he’s doing!?_].”

Meanwhile, Cumin raises both hands.

“MASENKO!”

“DUAL LIGHT OF DEATH!”

The twin energies collide. Sauza draws from vast reserves he’d long forgotten about, but it’s all for naught. Screaming by now, Jintan overpowers the Special Beam Cannons. Riazul’s muscle memory takes over. He jumps away yet again, makes finger guns with both hands.

“GATLING VOLLEY!”

Sauza’s fingertips fire a couple of bullet-like energy pellets. Though briefly rattled, Cumin dodges the shots and takes to the air. Riazul takes aim, shoots anew. Nothing happens. Thinking fast, the late Lord Quitela flies after the rooster. By this time, both fighters’ hands are cupped in an all too familiar position.

Quitela/Cumin: “Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!”

The energy beams collide. Riazul prevails this time around, albeit just barely. Jintan zooms to safety in the nick of time. His opponent’s blast singes a couple of tail feathers, but the rooster’s otherwise fine.

“(_Kekeke!_). Too bad, Jintan. I happen to be in a mood for fried chicken.”

The laughing Quitela blows a raspberry. The miffed bird cups his fingers in a triangular pattern. Sauza makes to fire a volley of ki blasts, yet only manages to shoot five times before Jintan unleashes the Tien-Shin School’s signature attack.

“TRI-BEAM!”

While far from impressive, the ensuing blast is more than strong enough to extinguish Quitela’s shots. Riazul seizes an opening. Taking advantage of Jintan’s distraction, the Naatsusian zooms up close and personal, lets bird boy have it with another barrage of punches and kicks. Caught by surprise, the rooster blocks and deflects poorly as Sauza grins maliciously.

“That’s really all you can do, chickenhead?”

“S-Shut up and fight, rat!”

“I’d say you’re terrible at this, but that would be wrong…” (_Cumin’s eyes briefly light up_). “You suck. Big time.”

Suddenly, strange voices echo throughout Cumin’s mind. Jintan’s sweat burns ice cold now.

(_Translated from Hindi and/or Urdu_).

{_You have failed, Neelus_[2]}.

{_I am so disappointed in you_}.

“B-Be quiet!”

“Aww, did I hurt your feelings, chicken shit?”

“Quitela!”

The pair stops fighting. Piccolo is not happy at all.

The Tien-Shin pupil seizes his chance. Taking advantage of the distraction, poultry lad punches Quitela square in the jaw, knocks him quite a few yards away. Sauza, however, is far from worried.

“Was that a punch, Golden Skillet? I honestly couldn’t tell.”

{_Márathos’s boys surpass you in every way!_}.

{_You are an embarrassment to this family!_}.

“I SAID SHUT UP!”

Fowl and rodent are at it again, tangled in a mess of legs and feet. Jintan’s getting sloppy.

“You having an off-day, bird boy, or is this business as usual?”

“Quitela! That’s enough!”

Now it’s Gohan’s turn to reprimand. Meanwhile, still more voices reverberate through Cumin’s mind.

{_What are we going to do with you?_}.

{_Even Subah_[3] _is stronger than you_}.

{_Why can’t you be like Paudha?_[4]}.

“{SHUT THE FUCK UP!}”

Screaming in a rabid mixture of Hindi, Urdu, and English, the screeching, roaring rooster lad’s punching and kicking gives way to a frenzy of pecks and scratches. It doesn’t take long for Jintan to break through Quitela’s defenses.

{_You make a poor warrior, Neelus_}.

{_How you survived this long is beyond me_}.

(_Horrified Piccolo is…_). “CUMIN, STOP!”

{_I can’t believe I hatched a failure like you!_}.

{_Why did I allow that buzzard to use me!?_}.

{_Disloyal, deceitful, worthless! Just like your father…_}.

(_Frantic Anise is…_). “CUMIN! YOU GOTTA STOP!”

{_You know what the price of failure is, Neelus…_}.

{_Get dressed and head upstairs_}.

{_Our colleagues yearn for you_}.

{_That’s the one thing you can do right…_}.

“CUMIN!”

The fowl boy opened his eyes. He was back on the ground by the time he tuned in to Piccolo’s ki. The Namekian was… angry, enraged, fearful…

Because of _him_.

No.

Not just him.

Because of—.

“QUITELA!”

Cumin sprinted on ahead, trying to reach the rodent’s wavering signals despite the dark-enshrouded world that separated them. It wasn’t long before Jintan found the fallen god. His collision with a small shape and the “OW!” that followed told him as much.

“QUITELA-I’M-SO-SORRY-I-DIDN’T-MEAN-IT-LEMME-HELP-YOU-I—!.”

Sauza shuddered. Next thing he knew, the rooster’s hands were dangerously close to his fearful, trembling countenance.

_Ven acá, morrito lindo_.

_Qué carita más linda tienes…_

_Tu pelo es tan suavecito..._

_Acércate pa’ darte lo que te gusta_.

_Sabes que te encanta_.

_No pelees, pinche ratita_.

_Vas a gozar de lo lindo, ratoncito_.

“¡NO ME TOQUES![5]”

Yielding to impulse, the panicked Riazul punched Cumin square on the beak. Gohan could barely keep his own temper in check. The half-Saiyan had an urge to beat that accursed rat within an inch of his life, then blast him to smithereens.

The stunts he pulled at the Tournament!

The way he tricked another universe into wiping itself out, just to save his own skin!

And now, this…

Taunting a troubled boy.

Pouring salt into still open wounds.

Despicable!

Disgusting!

Far as Gohan was concerned, Quitela had gotten exactly what he deserved.

Something wasn’t quite right, though.

Sauza wasn’t merely frightened.

He was _terrified_.

The mouse snapped when Cumin tried to touch him. More specifically, when the boy reached for—.

(_Translated from Hindi_). “{I-I-I-I’m sorry, _MaaN_, _Bapu_[6]_… _I-I-I d-d-didn’t mean t-t-to. D-D-Don’t… p-p-please… don’t… s-s-s-send m-m-me up… up there… don’t…}.”

“Cume, it’s ok. They’re not here. They’re not going to hurt you anymore.”

The sights and sounds of Anise comforting the weeping rooster brought Gohan back to reality in time for him to catch Fennel before he could pounce on the stunned Quitela. The half-Saiyan kept the axolotl under control while an irate Piccolo activated his Demon Hand ability. 

His arms stretched to serpentine shape, the Namekian’s hands grabbed Quitela by the shirt collar. Piccolo Jr. glowered. The former enemy of Son Goku had half a mind to make the fallen Hakaishin pay for his sins right there and then… yet the sight of Riazul’s eyes made him pause.

The troublemaker in his hands was no deity.

He wasn’t an assassin, a thief, or a hardened criminal.

He was a child.

A confused, terrified child.

Like Cumin was.

Like Gohan once was.

Like _he _once was.

“Gohan… listen carefully. I want you to stay with the Tien-Shin Trio. 21 and Shu should be arriving in a while. Use discretion when you explain things to them… especially to 21. In the meantime, Quitela and I are going to have a nice, long talk…”

The half-Saiyan nodded, watched as his mentor spirited the rat away…

_Later, elsewhere in the woods…_

Once he landed on a nearby clearing, Piccolo released Riazul, allowed him a few minutes to regain his composure, after which he ordered the mouse to get up. The former deity complied. Fearful and trembling, the Naatsusian sought to direct his stare elsewhere.

“Look me in the eyes.” (_Sauza complies_). “I warned you several times about this, Quitela. I told you to hold your tongue around Cumin, to think before you said anything to him. You didn’t listen. What do you have to say for yourself?” (_Quitela keeps quiet_). “Answer me.” (_Quitela holds his peace_). “I won’t ask again…”

(_A despondent Quitela looks down_). “Get it over with…”

“Huh?”

“Do whatever it is you’re going to do...”

“What’re you talking about?”

A teary-eyed Riazul looked up. There was anger in his expression, but also…

“Aren’t you going to punish me? Aren’t you going to put me in my place?” (_Piccolo keeps quiet_). “Make it quick.”

“Make what quick?”

(_Sauza scowls_). “Don’t play dumb. You’re gonna do the same to Jintan after you’re done with me. Don’t tell me you people don’t know what discipline is.”

“Explain yourself.”

(_Riazul facepalms_). “Gods dammit, do I have to draw you a fucking map!? Aren’t you gonna go to town on me!?” (_Piccolo stares in visible confusion_). “The birds and the bees? The reason why anyone was born[7], AKA The Nasty?

“WHAT!?”

(_Sauza scoffs_). “[_And I thought Goku was an idiot…_]. Isn’t that how you punish troublemakers?”

“Of course not! Quitela… I…”

Beleaguered as he was, Piccolo soon calmed down enough to scan the rodent’s ki. The slug man detected no fluctuations or any other abrupt changes in flow. Whatever else he was doing, Sauza wasn’t lying.

“Quitela… who… who did that to you?”

(_Quitela shakes his head_). “It happened eons ago, green man. That’s all there is to it.” (_Sighs_). “You gonna punish me or what?”

“Yes and no.”

“Meaning?”

(_Piccolo wipes sweat from his forehead_). “You and Cumin will receive your fair share of punishment for what happened today… but not like that. We don’t do those things, Quitela. We don’t condone them, either. Not now, not ever.”

(_Riazul sighs_). “Good to know. I s’pose you want me to fill you in on all the dark and seamy details and whatnot...”

(_Piccolo shakes his head_). “No, I… I can tell you aren’t ready. I’ll listen if you want to talk, but I won’t force you to."

"Fair enough."

"That being said… what were you thinking? Why were you taunting Cumin?”

“I… I don’t know. I… I guess I was trying to… toughen him up, I guess. Heck, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.” (_Sauza turns serious_). “I meant what I said, Piccolo. Kid needs to grow thicker skin. Jintan’s not gonna last a minute if he loses his shit like that in the real world.”

“That’s not the way to do it.”

“It’s the only one I know…”

“Not anymore.” (_Piccolo sighs_). “Let’s go. I’ll prep a salve to mend your wounds. In the meantime, you and Cumin owe each other an apology." (_Stern_). "Let this be your first and final warning, Quitela. Don’t ever pull another stunt like this again. I’m not asking you to make friends with Cumin and the others, but I expect you to treat them with respect, and vice-versa. Do I make myself clear?”

(_Sauza nods_). “Crystal.”

Teacher and pupil flew back to the compound. Unbeknownst to them, an invisible presence had seen and heard just about everything that had transpired. Once he was alone, Gamisaras emerged from inside some adjacent bushes, produced an electronic device, and imputed a series of commands.

“Excellent. Caway and the others will be pleased. Phase 1 can now begin.”

With that, the lizard made himself scarce…

* * *

[1] “Looky, looky! There’s the little faggot mouse!”

“You’re gonna get it now, lil’ Injun!”

“Quit your screamin’ already, [you] fuck!”

“Hold still, asshole!”

“Shut up and quit screwin’ around, you fucking rodent!”

“Useless!”

“Sinner!”

“Dirtbag!”

“Pervert!”

“Just like your fucking mother!”

“Go scrounge up some leftovers, mousey.”

“It’s all you’re good for.”

“Fucking rat.”

“You’ve always been a rat.”

“You were born a rat, and you’re gonna die like one.”

[2] Pronounced “nee-loos.”

[3] Pronounced “soo-bah.”

[4] Pronounced “pod-hah.”

[5] “Come ‘ere, cute little boy.”

“What a cute lil’ face you have…”

“Your hair is so soft…”

“Come closer [so we can] give you what you like.”

“You know you love it.”

“Don’t you struggle, fucking little mouse.”

“You’re gonna have the time of your life, mousey.”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!”

[6] MaaN. From the Hindi मां = “mother” 

Bapu. From the Hindi बापू = “father” (Source: Google Translate).

[7] https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SexTropes


	5. Investiture

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quitela joins Cumin on a special outing as Universe 4's warriors put their plan into action...

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two:** Quitela**

Chapter 5: Investiture

_The next day, West City, 10:30 AM…_

“Where’re we goin’, again?”

“You’ll see.”

The bus stopped at Capsule Street at the southeast corner of West City. Soon afterward, Tien Shinhan stepped out of the vehicle, followed by a nervous Cumin and an annoyed Quitela. Clad in their Tien-Shin uniforms, master and student stuck out like sore thumbs among the veritable packs of humans and anthropomorphic canines, felines, and other reasoning beings of variegated species, ages, and sizes. Instead of his training outfit, Riazul wore a pair of reddish-white sneakers, dark-green cargo pants, an orange t-shirt that read “RAT BOY” at the front, and a slate-hued baseball cap with a mousetrap logo above the visor. 

(_Unamused Sauza is…_). “Whose bright idea was it, dragging me along?”

(_Calm Tien is…_). “Piccolo’s. He felt you needed a change of scenery after yesterday’s incident.”

“In other words, this is part of my punishment.”

“Something like that.”

“What weird kinda punishment is this, anyway? I thought I’d be stuck on hunting duty, firewood duty, or some other kinda duty for the next few months or so.”

“You’ll be doing plenty of that too, Quitela. In the meantime, w—.”

“E-E-Excuse me, M-Master Tien. How much further?”

“Almost there, Cumin.”

(_Sauza puts on his thinking cap_). “[_Jintan’s awfully anxious… more so than usual, anyway_].” 

The late Lord Quitela looked on ahead. A cream-colored building emerged into view. The Capsule Corp logo was smack-dab in the middle as Tien walked on ahead.

“Here we are. The Capsule Corp Treatment Center for Youths with Mental Disabilities.”

(_Riazul scowls_). “(Great. So now I gotta babysit chicken shit here _and_ a buncha retards…).”

“Did you say something, Quitela?”

“No, Tien.”

Once they were inside, the Grandmaster of the Tien-Shin Dojo told the pair to wait near the entrance while he spoke to the receptionist. Sauza looked around everywhere. Now was his chance! The mouse made to slink away, only for Cumin to bar the way with his own white cane.

(_Sotto-voce_). “(Going somewhere, Quitela?)”

“(Just trying to find the men’s room, feather boy).”

“(Oh, gimme a break. I happen to be blind, not stupid).”

“(Did you just roll your eyes at me, kid?).”

“(What if I did?).”

“(Y’know, you’re getting a little too uppity for my liking, Jintan).”

“(My apologies, Sire. Would you rather I grovel at your feet?).”

(_Riazul scowls_). “(Keep speaking to me like that and I’ll make you wish you had).”

(_Cumin scowls_). “(Deal with it. I’m done playing nice with you).”

“(You _what_!? You beat _me_ up, remember!?).”

(_Cumin frowns_). “(Yeah… I’m sorry about that. I lost control, and I hate myself for it. What I did was wrong…).” (_Cumin glowers_). “(…but _you_ wouldn’t shut up, either. Piccolo, Gohan, me, we tried to warn you, but you wouldn’t listen).”

“(Save it. Not _my_ fault you’re so freaking thin-skinned. You wouldn’t last a day in Universe 4).”

“(Don’t make me laugh. You wouldn’t last a minute in _my_ shoes).”

“(Yeah, getting pampered and waited on 24/7 sounds like such a drag).”

“(You don’t know anything about me).”

“(What’s there to know? You’re a fucking coward, a coddled brat who can’t last a day without somebody holding your hand. Seriously kid, gods know why Tien and the rest bother with you).”

“(I could ask the same thing about you. Also, you’ve got a lot of nerve calling _me_ a coward. Yeah, it’s true I hate fighting. I’m no good at it, at least compared to Anise, Fennel, and the others… but at least I didn’t trick somebody else into wiping out their own Universe just to save my own sorry hide).”

“(Like _you_ wouldn’t have done the same. It was them or us).”

“(You mean them or _you_).”

“(Same difference).”

“(Whatever. I know better than to listen to anything you say, mouse crap).”

“(You should be thanking me. That’s the only reason you beat me yesterday).”

“(You’re never gonna let that go, are you? And Fennel says _I’m_ immature...).”

“(I’m older than you by several eons. Believe it or not, I’ve accomplished more things than you can wrap your little chickenhead around, KFC).”

“(Yeah, you managed to stay a preteen for over a thousand years. Some achievement. The only difference between a mummy and you is that the mummy belongs in a museum, and you belong in a gutter).”

(_Riazul grumbles_). “(Keep speaking to me like that and you’re the one who’s gonna end up in a gutter).”

“(Hey, I kicked your mousey ass, remember?).”

“(_Kekeke!_). ('Mousey ass'!? What is this, freaking kindergarten!? I’ve heard better comebacks from two-year-olds!).”

“(Did _they_ kick your ass too?).”

“(You got a death-wish or something, chicken shit? Or are you just salty ‘coz Mamma forgot to wipe your ass?).”

“(Don’t talk to me about my mother, Squeaks).”

“(Whatever you say, Chick-Fil-A).”

“(Girly-voiced jerk).”

“(Squawking douche).”

“(Mousey dick).”

“(Feathered asshat).”

“(Heartless fu—).”

“That’s enough, you two.”

Tien had returned. The unamused warrior bade the youths to follow him. Riazul’s curiosity was piqued, yet an amalgamation of stinks soon derailed his train of thought. The former Lord Quitela found himself assaulted by the reek of feces, sustained by effusions of vomit, flanked by legions of hemorrhage, finishing with the occasional whiff of stale semen.

The group reached the entrance to the outer garden, and not a moment too soon. Sauza was just about ready to bolt by the time the group left the inner building.

Riazul breathed in relief. The yard outside had recently been mowed, if the smell of fresh cut grass was anything to go by. A newly planted rose garden wafted sundry perfumes at the same time bees, butterflies, and other creatures went about their lifecycles and Tien turned to the pair.

“Almost there…”

The group reached an enclosure guarded by a pair of middle-aged males, a tiger man and a wolf man. Tien showed them the three VIP passes he’d received inside, then handed one each to Quitela and Cumin, keeping the last for himself as one of the guards smiled at the rooster.

(_Tiger Man speaks with a slight British accent_). “Here for another visit, Master Jintan?”

“Hello, Mr. Edwards. Has my brother given you guys any trouble?”

(_Intrigued Riazul is…_). “[_Brother?_].”

Tipping his hat to the rooster, the Wolf Man spoke with a slight Salvadoran accent as he finished cleaning his glasses.

“Other than the usual? Not really.”

The second guard hadn’t finished speaking when a loud rooster crow intruded into the scene, spooking Riazul ever so slightly, much to the amusement of the pair. Cumin and Tien carried on like nothing happened.

(_Cumin politely bows_). “Good seeing you too, Mr. Jiménez. How’s your grandson?”

“Little guy’s doing fine. He’s recuperating after his first round of treatment.” (_Notices Quitela_). “And who’s this little fella?”

(_Butthurt Riazul is…_). “[_Little!? I’m your senior by over a hundred eons, you overgrown fleabag!_].”

“A friend of mine. He kindly agreed to join me and Master. Isn’t that right, Qui—I-I mean, Riazul?”

The vexed rat growled to himself. He could’ve sworn Jintan winked at him.

After exchanging further pleasantries, the guards escorted the visitors to a wooded area surrounded by benches. The crowing repeated several other times, much to Quitela’s irritation. The rodent had half a mind to rip his own ears out by the time Cumin called out to someone.

“Hello, Shyam[1].”

Riazul turned his attention to a gaunt figure perched atop one of the benches farthest removed from sunlight. Like Jintan, Shyam was a rooster. However, the guy’s bird characteristics seemed to be on the verge of changing into something more… reptilian?

Along with his beak, Shyam had a draconic snout peppered with irregularly distributed scales and feathery tufts. He was dressed in Bermuda shorts, a tank top, and a pair of fowl-footed sandals. Most notably, his eyes were bandaged with several layers of clean white cloth.

Shyam’s caretaker, a burly, dark-skinned human male, sat about an arm’s length away from the fowl. The man read a magazine of sorts as he occasionally stole a furtive glance at his charge, then slowly and cautiously left his seat the moment he sighted Jintan and company.

(_Timid Cumin is…_). “H-Hello, Mr. Dawnes. How’s everything?”

(_Dawnes smiles_). “No better or worse than last time.” (_Notices Tien_). “Hello there. Tien Shinhan, right?”

Both men shook hands. The master of the Tien-Shin dojo briefly turned to the Naatsusian.

"Quitela, this is Shyam Jintan, Cumin's older brother. Try not to make any sudden movements around him. He scares easily. Make sure to keep your energy hidden, too.”

"Why're his eyes bandaged like that?"

"Shyam is very sensitive to sunlight. Like Cumin, he's also blind... well, perhaps 'blind' isn't the correct term. How can I put this? You know how living beings generate body heat, right? Shyam can only see in infrared. Since he can also sense ki, his... condition makes him prone to sensory overload."

"I see. You still haven't told me why you made me come here."

Tien kept quiet. By then Jintan had already sat down to Shyam’s left. The Tien-Shin pupil chatted with the patient in a mixture of Urdu, Hindi, and English.

“{So how’s life thus far, Shy? Do Mr. Dawnes and the others treat you nice? Are you eating well?}.” (_Brief pause_). “{How am I doing? Same ol’, same ol’, really}.” (_Another brief pause_). “{Now that school’s out till September, I’m out in the wilderness training with Anise, Fennel, Piccolo, Shu, and Android 21. By the way, Anise and Fennel asked me to apologize on their behalf. They would’ve loved to be here, but Master Tien had to come instead to keep watch over Quitela. You know the Center only allows up to three visitors per patient at a time}.” (_Sighs_). “{There’s something I gotta tell you, big bro. Please don’t get upset with me. I… I got triggered a coupla times during the past two or three days}.” (_Frowns_). “{I… I know I shouldn’t think about it… _MaaN_… _Bapu_… their colleagues… what they… what they did to you… to Bisman[2]… to all of us. I try not to, but sometimes… sometimes I can’t help it}.” (_Sweats copiously_). “{I… I still have nightmares, Shy. I know, bro. I hate it too. The fighting, the bloodshed… but it’s gotta be done. I already told you about the Tournament of Power. If Mr. Goku and the others had lost, we’d… y’see, that’s why I have to do this. We need to protect Earth, our entire Universe. It’s the least I can do… make up for it… all that blood we spilled. I’m doing it for you. For Bisman. For all of us}.”

The younger rooster chatted as if his older brother could actually understand him. By Quitela’s estimation, Cumin paused a good thirteen times, almost like he was listening to Shyam’s response. While the patient didn’t seem particularly invested in the conversation, Cumin didn’t let that minor detail stop him from bending his sib’s nonexistent ear.

His eyes on the elder Jintan, the fallen Hakaishin trembled. Shyam’s countenance evinced little emotion, yet nevertheless conveyed disorientation, sorrow, weariness, perhaps even resignation.

No doubt about it.

Disabled or not, this young bird retained some self-awareness, at least enough to realize what dismal state he was in.

Having subdued his ki, the disgraced Destroyer tiptoed closer to the pair, only to freeze at the sight of Shyam bobbing his head up and down in an endless loop, like he was trying not to fall asleep or drop dead on his feet, all while he looked right and left at random intervals.

The mouse caught yet another foul stench wafting in the air. Excrement. It didn’t take Grand Priest to uncover its source. If the perched youth’s eyes hadn’t been bandaged, they would likely have a glazed over look upon them. The makeshift “diaper” tied above his tail feathers was a dead giveaway.

The signs were clear.

Shyam Jintan had a mental disability, one severe enough to warrant institutionalizing him in such a dreadful place. 

Yet that wasn’t what upset Quitela the most.

It all came back to him.

The friars.

The priests.

The children stolen from their homes, or willingly surrendered under false pretenses.

The local boys and their gangs.

The ring of the bells, summoning everyone to morning, midday, afternoon, and evening prayer.

The chapel.

What took place in it.

The fallen Destroyer’s mind leapt across time and space. The time was eons ago. The place: Planet Ninkilim, Universe 8, the compound of the mission at Cabeza de Rata, headed by the Church of the One.

Silently weeping, the child who would become God of Destruction Quitela laid face down on a cot. It was almost noon, and the young rat hadn’t had his breakfast yet.

Why? What had he done to deserve this? Had he really been _that_ bad?

At least he was alone. Those creepy old men dressed in dirty, heavily patched gowns were nowhere to be seen… for now.

How he hated them, those evil, conniving fiends! They would beat him and the other boys senseless if they so much as whispered in their own languages. If the lads wanted to speak, they had to use _their_ language. Their birth names long lost, the children now went by strange sounding monikers. The future Lord Quitela was no exception.

His name… what was it again? C… Ch… something like that.

The cell door slowly opened. The mouse lad looked up, perhaps in fear, sorrow, anger, or something else entirely, as a middle-aged friar entered, spoke in an Aguascalientes-Baja California hybrid Mexican accent.

“_Levántate, morrito. Es hora de desayunar_[3].”

Though hesitant at first, the boy complied. The older male seemed to be an anthropomorphic cross between a Malayan tapir and a desert warthog, likely in his late forties. His portly frame, out of place in a compound where nearly everyone sported gaunt, near-desiccated excuses for bodies, hinted that he was a novice. Dressed in the ashen blue habit of the order, the newcomer’s sandaled feet broke the stifling silence of the cell as he knelt in front of the lad, gave him a loaf of bread and a glass of water. The young rat ate in great haste, dreading what would come next.

“_Más despacio, chico, que te vas a atragantar. No voy a quitarte tu comida_[4].”

The young mouse slowed the pace, then noticed something odd. The friar had left the cell door open. Hesitant as he was, the future Lord Quitela ventured a look at this newcomer.

“_No te inquietes. Yo no hago esas cochinadas. No todos somos así_.” (_Sighs_). “_A la verdad que hay ser desalmado pa’ hacer eso, y con chamacos, lo que es peor. Por cierto, ¿cómo te llamas, mijo?_[5]”

“_Dobel. Dobel Corzo_[6].”

“_Santos Mecalo. Come despacio, chico. Te vas a—_[7].”

A loud crow-like wail slammed Quitela back to here and now. Having fallen on his butt, the rat almost screamed at the sight of Shyam struggling against Tien, Cumin, and Dawnes. It took some doing, but the three managed to calm down the elder Jintan. The master of the Tien-Shin Style Dojo turned to the Naatsusian after things eased down and the younger Jintan had regained his composure.

“Quitela? Are you alright?”

“Yeah. I’m fine. Why do you ask?”

“You stood there while Cumin spoke with Shyam, then you started to cry.” (_Sighs_). “Quitela… are you sure you’re ok?”

Sauza felt the area beneath his eyelids. The fur was still wet. Try as he might, the Naatsusian couldn’t answer. The fallen Hakaishin stood up, sat down at a nearby bench. By the time Cumin was holding a bowl full of mashed bread and corn for Shyam to peck at, a disembodied voice resounded within Quitela’s mind.

“_Es tu culpa…_[8]”

The mouse nearly gasped, looked around everywhere. The voice sounded… female?

“[_Keep it together, Sauza. That voice could’ve belonged to anybody. You’re in an insane asylum, for fuck’s sake! Better behave yourself, or they’re gonna lock you up in here. It’ll be the mission all over again…_].”

The Naatsusian managed to calm down… for all of five seconds. All went south when Cumin saw fit to break the silence as Shyam ate.

_…the cold sea is coiled in your gut,_

_the sky’s ring dilates, dilates, and_

_the tongue tastes sand,_

_the mouth is sour with failure, _

_the hair on your nape,_

_spiders running over your wrist…_

_you have eaten nothing but this landscape_

_all day, from daybreak to noon and past noon_

_the acrid greens and ochres _

_rust in the gut_ [9]_._

Fearful lest he should become reacquainted with his breakfast, Riazul headed back outside, walked past Jiménez and Edwards without a word. The former god couldn’t tell if the guards said anything, and he couldn’t be bothered to find out.

Unwilling to run another gauntlet of reeks and odors inside the main building, Quitela discreetly looked around till he found what looked like an emergency exit. However, opening it was out of the question. Doing so would likely trigger an alarm, and Sauza wasn’t in the mood for unwanted attention, let alone another reprimand from Piccolo, Tien, or their flunkies.

“Quitela…”

Tien had followed him outside. And here rat boy hoped he’d be too busy changing Jintan’s diaper to notice!

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Just getting some fresh air. I have a sensitive nose, Three Eyes. I can only smell so much shit before I have to rip my lungs out.”

“I figured as much. No wonder you were so discomfited back in the main hallway.”

“You noticed that, huh? Guess my ki gave me away…”

“Why didn’t you say something?”

“Didn’t see the point. Wouldn’t have changed anything.”

“It’s almost noon. You must be hungry. Cumin’s almost done. We’ll head over to the cafeteria we passed by earlier when he gets out. Right this way. He must be so worried.”

Tien started to walk away, stopped when he realized the scowling Riazul hadn’t moved.

“Quitela? Didn’t you hear me? We have to go meet Cumin.”

Sauza didn’t budge. The stern rodent crossed his arms against his chest.

“Drop the act.”

“Excuse me?”

A grinning Riazul shook his head, playfully wagged his finger at the warrior before him.

“(_Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk_). I’m so disappointed in you.”

(_Tien glowers_). “What on Earth are you talking about?”

(_Sauza turns serious_). “You’ll have to do better than this if you wanna pull the wool over my eyes.” (_Tien’s eyes start to tremble_). “You lose. The jig is up… Shantsa.”

At that moment, crimson lights emanated from Tien’s face. They swallowed him whole, trapped Quitela and himself within a gigantic energy dome of the same color. When the rodent’s eyes recovered, the master of the Tien-Shin Dojo was gone, replaced by the astonished blue creature from the Universe of Conspiracy.

“I don’t understand! My disguise was flawless!”

“(_Kekeke!_). So you’ve learned a coupla new tricks since the Tournament. Not too shabby, all things considered. You got the appearance, gestures, and voice down pat. Too bad I remembered to read your ki.” (_Riazul scowls_). “I got lots of questions, so let’s start with the basics. What's going on? What are you doing in Universe 7?”

Shantsa steeled himself. Sauza was unnerved. The being before his eyes was a far cry from the timid, borderline sycophantic Gensoshan[10] he once knew. Dressed in a faded chartreuse, yellow-colored fighting _gi_, Shantsa’s body bore several scars of varying length and depth. His left eye concealed by an eyepatch, the illusionist now bore a sturdier build as he scowled at his former boss.

“_You_ are what’s going on, Lord Quitela… or should I say Riazul Sauza? You have a lot to answer for back in Universe 4.”

(_Riazul scoffs_). “Is that what this is about? You want revenge for the way I treated you? (_Kekeke!_). Apologies, Shantsa, but our little… disagreement back at the Tournament of Power was your own fault." (_Quitela glowers_). "I don’t take kindly to failure. Nobody with half a brain does.”

“Well, me and the others don’t take kindly to people like you. You let us down when we needed you the most.”

“[_The others?_]. You’re blaming _me_ for the Tournament!? That was the Omni-King’s doing, not mine!”

“Yes, that much is true… but _you’re_ the reason why we had to fight in the first place.”

“Don’t blame me for _your_ weakness, you little turd! If you, Ganos, and all those other morons had actually fought well, we wouldn’t have gotten erased!”

“That’s not the point. You know what you did. Nothing you say or do will change that.” (_Shantsa glowers_). “So what’s it going to be? Are you gonna come along quietly, or do I have to stomp on you, like you tried to do to Damon?”

“(_Kekeke!_). You can’t be serious! I’m way stronger than you, you little blue piss-stain!”

“My name is Shantsa. It's about time somebody taught _you_ a lesson.”

Shantsa opens up with a Mouth Energy Wave. Quitela leaps out of the way, counters with a Masenko, which the Gensoshan effortlessly dodges. Both blasts are absorbed by the scarlet dome, briefly bounce within it like ripples on a pond.

Sauza tries to fly away, only to crash into the energy field and back to the ground. The zooming blue fighter presses on the offensive. Shantsa lands an energy-fueled uppercut in Riazul’s face, follows with another, then another, then a kick, another kick, then a flurry of punches and kicks.

Thinking fast, Sauza unleashes a power up, knocks his opponent into the force-field. The Naatsusian zooms to the stunned warrior, pounds and batters him with a flurry of his own by the time Tien Shinhan and Cumin emerge from among a throng of fleeing patients, staff, and visitors.

(_Horrified Tien is…_). “Quitela!”

“Master, there’s another fighter in there, too! I can’t tell who that other ki signature belongs to!”

“I remember him! This guy’s one of Quitela’s warriors!” (_Looks at the force-field_). “That energy dome… he used a similar technique during the Tournament! Help me out, Cumin!”

Teacher and pupil place both hands in a triangular position.

Tien/Cumin: “TRI-BEAM!”

The twin beams coalesce, crash into the energy field, yet barely make a dent. Tien and Cumin try again, again, again, and again, to no avail. Without further ado, the rooster cups his hands into another familiar position.

“Ka… Me… Ha… Me… HA!”

Before Tien can react, the blind fowl unleashes the Turtle School’s greatest technique once, twice, thrice, etc., all while the master of the Tien-Shin Dojo rolls his sleeve, revealing a device strapped to his wrist, presses a series of buttons that cause it to pulsate and glow red.

“Hang on, Quitela! We’re coming!”

A dumbfounded Riazul briefly looks on. Cumin “Drumsticks” Jintan, AKA Chicken Shit, KFC, Golden Skillet, Chick-Fil-A, etc., desperately scratches, kicks, pecks at the dome while trying to break it.

No.

Trying to save him.

_Him_, God of Destruction Quitela, Pilferer of Fortunes, Purveyor of Perfidy, Distiller of Duplicity, Heartthrob of Escorts!

Tien and Cumin zip all over the place, become lost in a typhoon of legs, arms, hands, feet, and energy blasts, all directed against the force-field. Progress is slow, but the assault eventually starts to make a dent in the energy construct, much to Shantsa’s horror.

The fallen Hakaishin and his disgruntled ex-subordinate keep duking it out. Though Shantsa manages to severely injure the rat, he’s barely holding his own. Weakened as he is, Riazul “Quitela” Sauza remains a formidable opponent. 

Shantsa sweats acrid terror. He can’t keep this up for long.

The blue illusionist refuses to give up.

He’ll fight on!

He’ll see things through!

He’ll win, even if it kills him!

The time for fun and games is over!

“ULTRASONIC EXCHANGE!”

The battered, bleeding Quitela finds himself encircled by multiple copies of the Gensoshan. The fallen God of Destruction barely manages to jump to safety when the Shantsas all fire Mouth Energy Waves at him.

“[_This isn’t good! Shantsa’s illusions can actually hurt me now!_].” (_Looks up_). “[_That damn dome! I gotta find a way to break through, or I’m as good as dead!_].”

The Shantsas dogpile on the rat, punch, kick, swipe, parry as needed. Riazul fights valiantly, holds out his own for a good five to ten minutes, yet soon finds himself overwhelmed.

Shantsa and company grin maliciously. The battle is won! Swarming around the rodent, the group goes for the final blow…

At that moment, something suddenly clicks within Quitela’s mind. It’s that female voice again.

¡_Cállate y haz lo que te mando_!

_No debiste haber nacido_.

_Eres un ingrato_.

_O sirves a la buena, o sirves a la mala_.

_Para eso viniste al mundo_.

_Sin mí no eres nada_.

_No eres más que una pinche rata_[11].

The former Destroyer loses all notion of time and space, becomes engulfed in shining silver. The Shantsas, Tien, and Cumin look on in disbelief. The Tien-Shin warriors jump away in time to evade a large ki implosion. The latter shatters the force-field, disintegrates all the clones, heavily injures the real Shantsa, causes a pillar of white-hued energy to shoot upward.

“Guys, look! Over there!”

The voice of Android 21 resounds over the skies above. Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Shu, Anise, and Fennel rush to the area. The column of searing argent in the distance tells them where to go.

Back on the ground, the smoke finally settles. His clothes tattered, his body cut, gashed, and bleeding profusely, Quitela glows an ominous burning silver by the time the injured Shantsa gets back up.

The Gensoshan stares into the eyes of doom. Every fiber of Shantsa’s being roars at him to run away, to abort the mission, make himself scarce before the fallen Hakaishin turns him into a smoking crater the size of Planet Aspen. Horrified as he is, the Gensoshan stands his ground.

_Es tu culpa._

_Eres una abominación._

_Eres un pecador._

_Eres un hereje._

_Eres un degenerado._

_Eres un maldito_ [12] _._

The female voice again. Heaving and panting, Sauza’s world becomes a blur. His body and mind seem to act on their own accord as he fires a silvery image of himself at his opponent.

Having dodged the initial attack, Shantsa flies away. The projection gives chase. The fighter from U4 increases speed, yet the image flies faster still, overtakes him, goes through his body. The Gensoshan thanks all the gods and lucky stars. He’s unharmed… or so he thinks.

This latest attack deals no damage. Instead, it creates a bluish afterimage of Shantsa himself. The master of illusion watches in mirific awe as the blindingly bright image turns into a searing fireball, speeds back to the ground, zeroes in on Riazul, crashes into him with a deafening boom.

Quitela’s screams filled the deserted courtyard. A second explosion briefly concealed him from view by the time Goku and company reached the area. Heaving and panting heavily, Riazul became lost within his own mind. The silver ki around Sauza dwindled as the mouse pleadingly extended his hand towards the Z-Fighters, faded altogether by the time he lost consciousness and collapsed amidst a deluge of aches and exclamations.

Subduing his energy signature, Shantsa activated the minute jets on his back, sped to the wilderness. The Gensoshan remained conscious long enough to spot Nink as he sprinted and jumped towards him.

“Shantsa!”

The blue warrior had sunk into semi-oblivion by the time the orc caught his falling form and fled into the woods...

_Two hours later…_

“There. That should do it.”

His hand on Shantsa’s forehead, the kneeling Enapay allowed the energies shining from within him to quiet down.

“You guys must be more careful. It’ll be a while before I’m able to do anything like this again. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

The drained shinobi stood up and split. Two or three minutes later, the Gensoshan groaned his way back to the world of the living.

“Wha… What happened…?”

“Shantsa! You’re alright!”

The rest of Universe 4’s warriors echoed Shosa’s exclamation. Shantsa looked down. He was lying on his cot, his aching body heavily bandaged.

It all came back to him. Quitela uncovering his ruse, the fight, that unexpected reversal, his escape, his near rendezvous with death. Shantsa could only weep.

“I’m sorry, guys! He was too strong! All that training I did… it was for nothing…”

(_Damon gently flies to the patient_). “Shantsa… you fought well. You beat the tar out of that damned rat. You should be proud of yourself.”

(_Majora kneels next to Shantsa_). “Damon’s right. You’ve come a long way since the Tournament.”

Drying his tears, Shantsa sighed as Shosa poured him a cup of tea.

“Drink this. It’ll soothe you.”

(_Shantsa complies, smiles_). “Thanks, everyone.”

A nearby door opened and closed. Nink emerged from the room behind.

“Thank Enapay. He healed you with his magic.”

(_Confused Shantsa is…_). “Enapay? Where is he?”

(_Majora sits down_). “He left before you woke up.”

(_Nink does the same_). “Caway’s talking with the boss. Gamisaras is out doing fieldwork.”

“I see…”

Inside her quarters, an uneasy Caway bowed in front of a holo-projector. Upon activation, the device showed a shadowed form standing in the manner of a Destroyer God.

“Greetings, Agent Niltsi[13].”

(_Doleful Caway is…_). “Hail, Agent Azeban. I… I regret to inform you that our mission ended in failure. Subject Q remains at large.”

“What of Agent Igaluk?”

“He was lucky to escape with his life. Agent Enapay healed him just before his departure.” (_Sighs_). “I take full responsibility for this failure, milady. I exercised poor judgement and underestimated the enemy. I—.”

“Enough. Rise, Agent Niltsi.” (_Caway complies_). “I’m not my predecessor. You don’t have to appease me, much less grovel, before me. Remember our objectives. Other than capturing Subject Q, these skirmishes are a way for us to gather data on our quarry. The greater our knowledge, the more certain his defeat. Your reports and surveillance have proven most apt for such a purpose. Lastly, I have a message from the Omni-King. Henceforth, you’ll be allowed to confront Subject Q in groups of two. Nevertheless, Lord Zen-Oh’s prior restrictions remain in effect.”

“Understood. I shall inform the others right away.”

With that, Caway killed the transmission. Her willpower and resolve replenished, the Princess of Aspen stepped out of the room…

* * *

[1] Pronounced “sh-ee-aa-m” (Source: PronounceNames.com).

[2] Pronounced “biz-muhn” (Source: Google Translate).

[3] “Get up, little boy. It’s time for breakfast.”

[4] “Slow down, kid, you’re going to choke. I won’t take your food away.”

[5] “Don’t be scared. I don’t do those disgusting things. Not all of us are like that. You really have to be heartless to do that, and to kids, worst of all. By the way, what’s your name, sonny?”

[6] “Dob-ehl Kor-soh.”

[7] “San-tohs Meh-kah-loh.” “Eat slowly, child, you’re going to—.”

[8] “It’s your fault…”

[9] Derek Walcott, _Another Life_, II: 9, 75-80, 82-6 (1972).

[10] “Gehn-soh-chan.” From the Japanese 幻想者 / Gensō-sha = “illusion person” (Source: Google Translate).

[11] “Shut up and do as I tell you!”

“You shouldn’t have been born.”

“You’re an ingrate.”

“Either you serve the easy way, or you serve the hard way.”

“That’s why you came into this world.”

“You’re nothing without me.”

“You’re nothing more than a fucking rat.”

[12] It’s your fault.

You are an abomination.

You are a sinner.

You are a heretic.

You are a degenerate.

You are damned. 

[13] Possible V.A.’s: Mae Whitman (Katara, _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ / _The Legend of Aang_, albeit with a slightly older pitch), Ming-Na Wen (Ellen Yin, _The Batman_, slightly deeper pitch), Seychelle Gabriel (Asami Sato, _The Legend of Korra_).


	6. The Snake-Haired Goddess (TRIGGER WARNING)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things turn especially ugly as Mule encounters Sencha and Kocha at the Forbidden Library...
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Rape scene ahead. Reader discretion advised.

Dragon Ball Super: Twilight of Gods, by Chronos-X

Saga I: **On Mortality and Consequences**

Book Two:** Quitela**

Chapter 6: The Snake-Haired Goddess

**TRIGGER WARNING: Rape scene ahead. Reader discretion advised**.

Her head was serpent, but ah, bitter-sweet!

She had a woman’s mouth with all its pearls complete:

And for her eyes—what could such eyes do there

But weep, and weep, that they were born so fair?

…

Her throat was serpent, but the words she spake

Came, as through bubbling honey, for Love’s sake…

John Keats, “Lamia,” Part I: vv. 59-62, 64-5 (1820)

A drowsy Mule opened and shut his eyes several times. Barely able to stay awake, the imp dosed off a good five times before he got around to raising his upper body. Nevertheless, getting his legs to do much of anything was an endeavor in and of itself, so the disgraced warrior opted to scan his immediate area.

No sign of Jerez or Vermoud. Chifir, Sencha, Kocha, and their cohorts were nowhere to be found, either.

Zevion was all by his lonesome. Not that he was surprised or anything.

He’d always been alone. Whether other people happened to be nearby or not was pure coincidence.

The lethargic imp made to stand up. He still couldn’t compel his legs (let alone the rest of his body) to obey him.

The fallen Destroyer ordered himself to fly. Nothing happened.

Growing troubled, Sorokov made to shoot a ki blast out of his hands. Still nothing.

Sweating buckets by now, the Hakaishin from the Spiritual Universe shut his eyes. He sought out his fellow deities’ psychic signatures, but was only greeted by death-like silence.

(_Translated from Russian_). “{W-What’s going on? W-Why can’t I…?}.”

It all came back to Mule.

His capture at Universe 3.

The meeting with Vermoud and Jerez…

Their audience with Chifir…

The subsequent battle…

The trio from Universes 2, 3, and 11 lost to Chifir.

The Numena made good on her promise to strip them of their Destruction Energy, God ki, powers…

Zevion swallowed hard.

The way the dragon goddess maimed Mosco without blinking an eye. The way she tore him to atoms with a single blow. A _single_ blow. Not even Beerus the Destroyer had managed such a thing.

What kind of beings were these? How could they be so powerful as to…?

The late Lord Mule realized something else.

He was mortal. Weak. Defenseless.

Assailed by cold, hunger, weariness, and other long forgotten sensations, Sorokov arrived at yet another horrific conclusion.

He was alone.

No Campari.

No Eyre.

No Mosco.

No one.

Nothing.

At that moment, the Chertenokian realized he could move his legs. Having taken a chance, he stood up and shambled for a bit. Relieved after such a revelation, Mule caught a stale, fetid scent that nearly made him collapse on his knees. Something was rotting nearby.

Books. Mold. Mildew.

If Zevion’s calculations were correct, there was over a thousand miles of hallways, passages, bookcases, and sundry junk scattered about. By his own estimation, it would take him at least three-thousand years to read half of the tomes he could spot with the naked eye, if he’d still had Mosco, that is. Hell, even with Mosco’s latest upgrades, it would’ve taken a couple hundred thousand eons to digitize the contents of this… library?

“Aye. ‘Tis so, Lord Mule.”

Zevion turned around. The speaker was no other than…

“Lady Sencha…”

Having come out of the shadows, the Gorugonian removed the hood over her head as the sound of clanking metal followed behind. It could only be…

“Lady Kocha…”

The mechanical deity lurched for all of five seconds. The serpent woman’s movements were so stiff, Sorokov half-expected her to collapse into a heap of scrap metal barely worth salvaging. The fallen deity turned to the pair, only for Sencha to forestall his questions with a polite gesture.

“It pleaseth me to see thou art well, mine Lord.” (_Turns to Kocha_). “Mine sister and I made haste to find thee. Verily, whatever possess’d Lady Chifir to cast thee and thine’s herein? This gods-forsaken labyrinth is one of the most perilous areas in the citadel.”

“P-Perilous!?” (_Zevion realizes something_). “Are Vermoud and Jerez here as well!?”

“Indeed. Agent Camphor brought them here. Furthermore, I…”

(_Translated from Greek_). “{A MOMENT, EUTHALIA}.”

“{Is something the matter, Euthymia? Pray tell, what dost trouble thee, beloved sister?}.”

“{SIR GYOKURO HAS YET TO RETURN}.”

“[_Euthalia? Euthymia?_[1]].

Mule soon lost the plot of the goddesses’ palaver. For reasons the imp couldn’t quite explain, something in the sisters’ exchange made his skin crawl. 

What, or rather, who, was the cause?

Kocha?

Almost, but not quite.

True enough, the latter wasn’t all that pleasant to be around with. The very air around Kocha felt heavy, enshrouded in dread and ominousness. The mechanical deity certainly inspired discomfort, apprehension, even downright revulsion, as she exuded a deathly chill which lingered long after she’d made herself scarce. Perhaps it was a good thing after all, not being able to see her eyes or visage. Gods knew what fresh new horrors lurked underneath…

Sencha?

Most likely.

A puzzled Zevion scratched his head. Everything about the hooded deity felt right… yet also wrong. Part of him wanted to stay with her, to learn from her, while another part wanted to escape from her at all cost.

Why?

Mule considered the evidence before his eyes.

Sencha’s tone was soft, her manner, gentle bordering on soothing, her smile that of an ascetic saint who had just attained enlightenment. Unlike Kocha, the robed Gorugonian practically sweated light and gentleness, her very word and deed was drenched with love and compassion…

But it was wrong. 

Dead wrong.

How? Why?

Zevion listed any and all likely causes for such strange feelings by order of probability.

  1. There really was something off about Sencha. She could well be plotting something sinister against him and the other fallen Hakaishin, so they should beware of her. Wouldn’t hurt to steer clear of Kocha and those other Void Realm freaks, too.
  1. Sorokov was still in shock after being brought down to mortality. His mind, body, his very being was still in disarray. Therefore, it was quite possible his own flesh and blood were messing with him, his apprehension towards Sencha being a most vehement symptom.
  1. Kocha and/or Sencha were messing with him for some reason or other.

Obviously there were countless other hypotheses, yet these theories were the only ones the Chertenokian managed to come up with on such short notice. They also made the most sense… or what passed for sense in this accursed place.

The serpentine deities kept talking among themselves in Greek, or some other language that resembled it. While a bit rusty from centuries of disuse, Mule’s knowledge of the language proved no less useful.

Assuming his interpretation proved reliable, Kocha and Sencha were exchanging views on regards to something called Project Juoki, as well as something called Project Fell Star. Kangra, the talking pangolin female, had uttered those selfsame words at the courtyard. Though the Numena didn’t elaborate, the anger and discomfort Mule sensed in Chifir hinted that something big was going on behind the scenes.

If nothing else, the vanquished Destroyers from the Second, Third, and Eleventh Universes owed it to themselves to get to the bottom of the matter. Doing so could mean the difference between life and death.

Zevion swallowed hard.

He’d already failed once.

Because of that, Universe 3, all its inhabitants, divine and mortal alike, himself included, were wiped out during the Tournament of Power. The fact he and the others lived to tell the tale was nothing short of miraculous.

Lord Haku likely writhed in his grave. If his predecessor was still the male Sorokov remembered, he was likely sharpening his claws at Other World as he dusted the spot he’d separated for the Chertenokian’s head.

It was only a matter of time. Haku wouldn’t let something as trivial as death stop him from meting out justice… or what he regarded as such. Zevion himself disagreed with much of his predecessor’s reasoning, but who was he to defy Krupnik Sobieski, one of the strongest and best regarded Destroyers in the history of U3?

Mule sighed. There really was no contest. He himself was far less powerful than Haku. Not only that, he wasn’t on the best of terms with the beings from the Spiritual Universe. The fact that he wasn’t all that impressive (at least physically) only made things worse.

Staying inside Mosco was the best course of action. If the imp couldn’t inspire respect or reverence, at least he could instill fear and apprehension in others… at least in those who weren’t in on the joke.

And what a joke it was!

God of Destruction Lord Mule X, heir of Haku, of the Great and Eminent House of Ketel, born Zevion Poliakovich Sorokov, wasn’t even half the male Lord Haku had been when the latter was mortal, both before his ascension _and_ after he’d passed on the mantle!

Whenever Haku spoke, people listened. That diamond-hewn, scar-riddled frame did all the talking for him. If that didn’t quite get the point across, his skill in battle would win the day. There was hardly a time when the former God of Destruction didn’t return to his palace swathed in the blood of whatever fools had dared cause trouble in U3 that day.

Mule’s next course of action was clear.

The answers laid in front of him, in the twin Gorugonians who now turned their attention to him.

He had to uncover their secrets, or die trying.

It was the least he could do.

“Thou seemest troubl’d, mine Lord. What aileth thee so?”

“U-Uh… w-w-well, y-y-y’see… I, uh…”

“Set thy heart at ease, Zevion Poliakovich.”

Having said this, Sencha wiped the dust off a pack of large, heavy books, sat down, gestured at Mule to accompany her. Refusal wasn’t an objection, so he reluctantly complied.

“Long have I desir’d to parlay, mine Lord. I was quite awed by thine accomplishments at the Third Universe.”

“Y-You were?”

“Aye, in troth.”

The imp’s attention briefly shifted to Kocha. Her expression undecipherable, the mechanical deity stood aloof. Zevion could sense a twinge of disdain in her.

“Mine sister and I hail from the Fifteenth Universe. I was pledg’d to the Sixteenth upon ascending, whereas Euthymia was pledg’d to the Fourteenth. Prior to the final onslaught of the All-Sovereign, our universe was chief among all others in the inception and application of true knowledge.”

“‘True knowledge’? You mean scientific knowledge?”

“Aye. Our crusades encompass’d both the world empiric and the world factual. Rather than favour the one or the other, our _scholae_ made one world out of many. Greatest among them was the Schola Tsai, headed by our father Euphemios, son of Glaukos. For a thousand myriad generations our house sought the truth, dispell’d false knowledge made by the unworthy. Thus it was… ‘til the All-Sovereign saw fit to usurp our power and inurn us in the Realm of Void. To think the gods would acquiesce to this… the sheer injustice of it all…”

Zevion stole a side-glance at Kocha. The dark goddess seemed to shake her head and look away. Mule raised a nonexistent eyebrow when he noted Sencha barely moved her hands or switched expressions as she spoke. Such factors could only mean one thing.

“[_Sencha’s lying. I’m sure of it, yet she sounds so… convinced. I can’t pick up changes in intonation or any other external factors that might give her away. The question is…_].”

“Surely thou knowest it thyself, mine Lord.”

“Huh? Know what?”

“The All-Sovereign, thy fellow Destroyers, thy very Cosmos, they confer not the respect thou dost merit.”

“W-What’re you talking about? O-Of course they do!”

“Thou knowest it to be so. Thine allies fear, loathe, and despise thee.”

The gears of Zevion’s mind got running.

_Hey, Sorokov, mind giving us a hand here?_

_Zevion, ol’ buddy… could you help fix up our programming?_

_Thanks for the help, poindexter._

_We got that imp nerd to help us._

_He did all the work…_

_Nobody else has to know…_

_Don’t be like that, Mule! _

_We’re your friends!_

_You’re an integral part of our team._

_We’d be lost without you._

“N-No… I-I… T-That’s not…”

“They use thee. They play thee for a fool.”

“N-No… L-Lady Sencha… I…”

“It need not remain so.” (_Extends her hand towards Zevion_). “Unlike them, I regard thee as our equal. Nay, thou easily standest above several among our numbers. I and mine can turn back thine undeification. More so, thou canst become infinitely more powerful than all other beings, mortal and divine alike.”

It all came back to Zevion.

The orphanage.

The common graves.

The ghetto.

Sabbath.

The chanter, inviting everyone to temple.

The rabbi.

The Torah.

The Talmud.

Suppertime.

The house.

That fateful day…

The fire…

The round-ups…

The trains…

The camp…

“R-Really? Can you do that?”

“Indeed. Thou hast mine word. He who would rule must serve. He who serves must rule. So it has always been. So it forever shall be.”

“No.”

Standing tall, Mule looked Sencha square in the eyes.

“You’re not fooling anyone, milady. There’s a lot of truth in what you say. I can tell that much. I also can tell you’re not been straightforward.” (_Sighs_). “I understand where you’re coming from. I feel that way a lot of the time, some days more than others… but that’s not the reason why I do this. I didn’t become a Destroyer so I could rule the universe and have others bow and scrape before me. I… my purpose… my purpose is to safeguard the balance between Creation and Destruction.”

“I and ours seek balance as well.”

Zevion felt increasingly ill at ease. Shutting his eyes, the Chertenokian gathered his mind, recalled Campari’s lessons on meditation and mindfulness.

Focus on the breathing. 

Let thoughts come and go. 

Don’t get involved with them. 

When you get distracted, return to the breathing.

It was all in vain. The more Mule sought to understand, the more baffled he became. The more he strove to go with the proverbial flow, the more his instincts told him to escape. 

The more he sought…

The more he…

The more…

The…

“Pray tell, what troubleth thee, mine Lord?”

Sorokov nearly jumped. Sencha now stood barely a foot apart. The fallen Destroyer God made to run away, yet his weakened body caused him to fall facedown, much to the consternation of the deities… well, Sencha’s, at the very least. The latter softly floated to the Chertenokian, crouched to his height, cautiously lifted and cradled him in her arms.

Zevion nearly panicked.

Sencha was attacking him mentally.

It didn’t take Eyre to realize it.

The disgraced warrior pushed back with all his might, summoned his photographic memory and powers of concentration.

Campari’s lessons on meditation.

Haku’s merciless drilling on resisting torture, exposure, exhaustion, all manner of pain, be it physical, psychological, spiritual, etc.

Try as he might, the imp was utterly incapable of marshalling his mind, body, and soul to combat such onslaught. His mind spinning by the reek of mold and rot, Zevion Poliakovich found himself swamped by long-forgotten voices.

(_Translated from Yiddish_). “{_Zevion! Quit yer lazing and help us out, you nishtgutnik!_}.”

“{_Why don’t you stop fiddling with those scrap heaps and get a real job, you little schmendrick!?_}.”

“{_You took the damn gizmo apart just so you could put it back together!? You think I just shit money out of my ass, boy!?_}.”

“{_What did we ever do to deserve you?_}.”

“{_Why did I listen to your Mother?_}.”

“{_Why did we take you in?_}.

“{QUIET!}.”

Mule muzzled his mouth too little, too late. The disgraced God of Destruction broke free from the Gorugonian’s embrace, yet realized he couldn’t run, let alone move. Zevion glanced behind.

Sencha!

This was all her doing!

“Wouldst thou fly, Zevion Poliakovich? Thou art among friends herein.”

“[‘_Among friends’!?_]. If that’s true, then you won’t mind answering a few queries, right?” (_Sencha keeps silent_). “Let’s start with an easy one. Where are the missing warriors?”

“Thine olden warriors live and thrive herein. Like them, thou and thy fellow deities have been chosen to restore balance unto the All-Cosmos.”

“‘Restore balance’? How, exactly?”

“The Light maketh all things possible. It chose me for its own, just as the Dark did choose mine sister.”

Something was off. Mule’s subtle side-glance told him that much. Though it lasted for a fraction of a second, the Chertenokian caught the exact moment when Kocha seemed to look away. Zevion took a chance.

“Lady Kocha… would you please answer my questions?”

The dark-clad deity lifted her head. Concealed as her eyes were, the imp could barely stomach their stare, and thus pressed on lest he should lose his nerve.

“Where are the missing warriors?”

“UNANSWERABLE QUERY. SEARCH SUBJECT EXCEEDINGLY BROAD.”

“I see.” (_Clears throat_). “Then let’s narrow it down. Where’re _my_ warriors?”

“THE ENTITIES ONCE NAMED PAPARONI ABBADELLI, CATOPESLA BEVILACQUA, NIGRISSI, BIARRA, PANCÉA, KOITSUKAI, NARINAMA, ZA PRICCIO, MAJI-KAYO, AND BORARETA ARE ASSIGNED DIFFERENT PRECINCTS WITHIN THIS CITADEL.”

“‘O-Once named’? W-What have you done to them?”

“UNANSWERABLE QUERY. UNIT UNAUTHORIZED TO RELAY RESTRICTED KNOWLEDGE TO UNAFFILIATED ENTITIES. LEVEL 3 CLEARANCE OR HIGHER REQUIRED.”

“I see. Thank you for your cooperation, Lady Kocha.” (_Turns to Sencha_). “I demand to see my warriors. Tell me where you keep them.”

“It is not meet to do thus, mine Lord. Thou shalt behold thine olden bondmen soon.”

“B-Bondmen!?”

At that moment, Sencha allowed herself to relax. Much to Kocha’s consternation, the serpent deity waved her right hand in front of Zevion. The Chertenokian could do nothing but listen in utter awe.

“Aye. Thou art their rightful lord and liege. Thy warriors are bound to thee, just as Euthymia, our correligionaries, and mineself are bound to our superiors. Join us, Lord Mule. Thou art righteous and just. Thou deservest to rule.”

Much to his wonder, the imp took delight in the goddess’s words. Moreover, everything Sencha said made perfect sense. Sorokov couldn’t quite explain how or why, but his initial reservations were slowly giving way to wholehearted acceptance… that is, until the Chertenokian regained himself as he failed to stifle a chuckle.

“Me? Righteous? Just? Your pardon, Lady Sencha, but you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Her mood unaltered, Sencha waved her hand anew. Once more Mule’s soul, mind, body, his whole being sang in delight. He had to acquiesce. How could he not?

“Oh, but I do. Thou hast the good of intellect, the fiery spark of innovation, desire unyielding to create the All-Cosmos anew. Such uncanny erudition knoweth best. Its wielder should reign seated at our right rather than languish miserably under the neglectful scorn of the wicked and the cruel.”

Again, everything Sencha said was true. No. It only made sense. Too much sense.

Zevion steeled himself. It was now or never.

“I… I’ve heard similar things throughout my eons, milady. I’ve been alive long enough to learn the depths beings can sink into in the name of good and justice. What’s more, I’ve lived through it. The answer is no.”

“I see…” (_Turns to Kocha, switches to Greek_). “{Euthymia… I require thine aid}.”

“{QUERY: TO WHAT END?}.”

“{Thou knowest full well}.”

“{RESPONSE: REQUEST DENIED}.”

Though Sencha smiled warmly, her expression made Sorokov all the more uneasy. The imp understood just about enough to surmise what was going on, so he tried to make himself scarce, only for Sencha to immobilize him yet again without laying a finger on him.

“{Wouldst thou refuse thine own flesh and blood? Wouldst thou forsake thy sister in her time of need?}.”

“{REQUEST DENIED}.”

“{Thou knowest what I must do now}.”

“{REQUEST DENIED}.”

A stern Sencha merged her stare with Kocha’s. The late Lord Mule shuddered as the air around him turned eerily warm for a good ten seconds.

“{Order enforced. Implement Protocol Three-Eight-Seven. Password: καλὸν κακὸν[2]}.”

{PASSWORD ACCEPTED. PROTOCOL ENFORCED}.”

Kocha’s response still echoed when Zevion began to groan and quiver. An uncanny force was invading him as the halls resumed their silence. It crawled all over him, slowly and steadily resolved itself into his very flesh, blood, marrows, viscera. While Sencha’s hold had felt warm and acute, Kocha’s felt gelid and dull, as if some undead slug were lathering him up with frozen putrescine.

Zevion tried to yell, but he could make no discernible sound. Again he sought to run. Again he wouldn’t budge while Sencha waved her hand yet again.

“Join us, Lord Mule. The Light can restore thy pilfer’d power, make thee chiefest among all deities. We are the way into insurmountable might, true, absolute sapience.”

“N-No…”

“The All-Sovereign, Daishinkan, thy fellow Destroyers, all are unworthy of thee. They mock thee, despise thee, when they should be in awe of thee. Thou knowest this to be true.”

“S-Save it. I… I won’t… yield… I won’t yield… not to you.”

“All beings yield to the Light. Thou art no exception.”

The subsequent events unfolded like a blur. With nary a gesture, Sencha made Sorokov come to her. The silence of the library gave way to the sound of the imp’s shoes squeaking on the floor, raising an ephemeral trail of dust in their wake as the resisting god-turned-mortal literally floated to the Gorugonian, who in turn sealed him in her embrace.

Once more shrouden in quietude, Zevion’s world appeared to melt as Sencha’s mouth connected with his own and a viscous, bitter-tasting liquid flowed from her into him. It tasted cloyingly sweet, yet felt excruciatingly bitter in his stomach.

The Chertenokian was at a loss.

Part of him wanted to see this through.

Part of him roared to break free, scream like he hadn’t screamed in centuries.

This female would have him.

Whether he acquiesced or not was beside the point.

He was to be eaten.

The camp.

He would often live it all over again, whether awake or slumbering.

This would be no exception.

Next thing Sorokov knew, Sencha began to pull down his trousers. Zevion could only watch as his own mind and body turned against him.

(_Translated from Yiddish_). {_NO! LET GO OF ME! LET GO! LET ME GO!_}.

{_This… oh… ohhhh… STOP!_}.

{_It… It hurts… so… so good… no… Lady… Lady Sencha… please_}.

{_I… I want… I… want… don’t…_}.

{_NO! I SAID NO!_}.

{_Campari… Eyre… somebody… please…_}.

{_Somebody…_}.

{_Any… Anybody…_}.

The deed was done. Once she’d cleaned and dressed up the comatose imp, a serene Sencha cradled him anew.

She felt…

No pain.

No delight.

No sorrow.

No joy.

No spite.

No elation.

No compunction.

Nothing.

She might as well have eaten Sorokov whole. Not that it would’ve made any difference.

(_Translated from Greek_). “{Let us away. ‘Twill not be long afore Lords Vermoud and Jerez locate him}.” (_Sencha makes to walk away. Kocha stays put_). “{Do not defy me, Euthymia}.”

With that, Kocha complied. The mechanical goddess spared one final glance before the clank of her steps briefly upset the silence, gradually stilled, then perished altogether…

* * *

[1] “Eh-ooh-thah-lee-ah,” “Eh-ohh-tʰ-ee-mee-ah” (Greek—Source: Behind the Name). tʰ = diagraph.

[2] Greek: kalon kakon (kah-lon–kah-kon) = Beautiful Evil (Hesiod, _Theogony_, XXXI: 585).


End file.
